"7,600 Won for 30 Minutes" Standing Sleep Capsule... Surprise Appearance at Japanese Cafe

One Cup of Coffee + 30 Minutes of Sleep for 7,600 Won
Experience Event Planned for 'Sleep Day'

A unique 'sleep capsule' that allows people to take naps while standing awkwardly has appeared in a cafe in Tokyo, Japan.

At the sleep cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo, operated by the coffee brand Nescafe, vertical sleep capsules have been installed and will be temporarily available until the 17th of next month.

The capsule was developed by the Japanese venture company 'giraffenap' and is a space where you can take a nap by leaning your soles, shins, hips, head, etc. against pads installed on the vertical seat. Inside the capsule, there is a vertical seat along with ventilation, electrical outlets, and dimmable lighting.

'Cilafnap' sign installed inside Nescafe Sleep Cafe in Tokyo, Japan
[Image source=Nestle Japan homepage]

The usage fee for the sleep capsule is 825 yen (about 7,600 won), which includes 30 minutes of experience time and a cup of coffee. Customers who wish to use it can make a reservation through the booking site, and if there are no reservations, it is also possible to use it on-site immediately. There are two capsule designs: 'Spacia,' which embodies the image of the near future, and 'Forest,' which recreates a forest atmosphere.

Nescafe planned this experience to propose 'Coffee Up,' where drinking coffee containing caffeine before a short nap improves efficiency upon waking. The cafe explains that a 15-20 minute nap increases afternoon activity efficiency, and drinking coffee with caffeine before the nap means the caffeine starts to take effect as you wake up, completely eliminating drowsiness.

Vertical Sleep Capsule [Image source=Nestle Japan homepage]

Additionally, the cafe prepared this plan as a solution for office workers who know that naps help improve productivity but cannot nap during work due to lack of space or concern about others' eyes. On the second floor of this cafe, there is a separate sleeping room equipped with recliners and large sofas. The 30-minute usage fee for the sleeping room is the same as for the sleep capsule.

One netizen who actually experienced the sleep capsule left a review saying, "If you are not very sleepy, it is hard to fall asleep easily, so it seems better to use it when you are sleepy," and added, "The standing sleeping method did not feel as unnatural as I thought, and a 20-30 minute nap is fine."

In 2011, Japan designated March 18 and September 3 as 'Sleep Days,' and every year around these dates, various sleep-related events are held.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.