Two Japanese companies are planning on implementing a 'nap box' to encourage a healthier office culture for their employees. Workers in Japan are known for working excruciatingly long hours. The companies want to install the sleek nap boxes so that workers can take short power naps throughout the day,
Saeko Kawashima, communications director for Itoki, said to Bloomberg News "In Japan, there are a lot of people who will lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while [to nap], which I don't think is healthy. It's better to sleep in a comfortable location."
The designers are hoping that their boxes will help alleviate some of the stresses that come with japan's strict office culture. According to a report by CNBC, almost one quarter of companies in Japan require their employees to work more than 80 hours of overtime each month - without extra pay. Overworking is so common in Japanese culture, that they have a word - inemuri - for people who take naps to make it through a long work day.
Is this a flexible rest option that will improve the lives of Japanese workers or is it just a bandaid over a larger workers rights problem in Japan? Time will tell.