- A cafe in Tokyo offered standing sleeping pods for customers.
- The experience prompted mixed reviews from YouTubers and TikTok users using the pods.
- “Only in Japan would you get a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said one YouTuber.
In August, a cafe in Tokyo began offering customers an unusual way to power nap — standing sleeping pods.
From August 22 to September 17, a Nescafe outlet in Harajuku charged 825 yen, or around $5.50, for a 30-minute standing nap in the pod and a cup of coffee.
The promotional offer prompted confused reviews from YouTubers and TikTok who visited the cafe.
“Only in Japan would you get a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said YouTuber Connor Colquhoun in a video posted on August 25 about his experience using what he described as a “budget-looking medieval torture device.”
His video has since received over 4 million views and depicts Colquhuon trying to get comfortable in a forest-themed sleeping pod.
“Why did Japan make this?” Colquhoun captioned his video review.
He added that though he was skeptical of the pod, the experience was not that bad.
“It kind of felt like all the pressure was being taken off my spine, and I could finally just chill out for a bit, until I realized I have a perfectly good bed at home, and I’m fine with that,” he said in the video.
The pods have adjustable lights and armrests, according to a review by SoraNews24 published in August. Customers can also choose between a space-themed or forest-themed sleeping pod.
Another user, @JapanOnTikTok, shared his experience using the cafe’s space-themed standing sleeping pod in a video published on August 23. The video has since been viewed over 6 million times.
“Once you’re set, the staff will lock you up and send you to space,” the user joked. “Once I was in space, it was actually a bit cozy, but I could hear some noise coming from outside.”
“It’s quite a comfortable position, unexpectedly so,” said TikTok user @tombotravelsjapan in a video posted Wednesday, “It feels really good on the body, I don’t feel any pressure.”
The cafe’s promotion ended on Sunday, but the standing sleeping pods are set to be sold by their manufacturer, Giraffenap.
The company did not disclose when or where it would be selling the pods but appears to be aiming them at companies as a “comfortable environment for in-office napping,” per Giraffenap’s website.
Japan isn’t the only place deploying these pods, however. In 2019, a New York co-working space also came with pods for users to power nap in.
However, such pods have long been a Japanese staple.
Tiny capsule hotels are popular among both budget travelers and late-night workers in Japan. Insider’s David McElhinney reviewed his $26-a-night stay in a popular Tokyo capsule chain.
The Nescafe Harajuku and Giraffenap did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.
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