Japan has launched a sleeper bus with fully flat seats that could help concertgoers and tourists avoid having to pay for a hotel.
Bus operator Kochi Ekimae Kanko has unveiled their new double-decker bus, a service they’re calling a “mobile capsule hotel”, which comes with specially fitted seats that recline completely to turn into flat bunk beds.
Named “Sommeil Profond”, or “deep sleep” in French, the bus is set to begin a trial weekly service between Tokyo and southern Japan’s Kochi prefecture from 4 March.
The bus will come with 12 bunk beds, which will therefore seat 24 passengers, and be priced at ¥7,300 (approximately £37) for the duration of the trial period, following which it will cost ¥14,000 (£72.55), according to Nikkei Asia.
“Many people think of overnight buses as cheap but uncomfortable,” Kochi Ekimae Kanko president Akitoshi Umebara said. “I want to give them the option of lie-flat seats and turn buses into the transportation option of choice.”
The sleeper bus will allow tourists to arrive fully rested, attend their event, and return home without needing to book a hotel, according to the South China Morning Post.
Costs of hotels in Japan have been rising, as Japan has been grappling with record numbers of tourists in a post-pandemic world. According to official figures released last month, Japan welcomed 36 million tourists in 2024, and popular tourist destinations like Kyoto and Hokkaido have raised accommodation or bathing taxes in an attempt to curb over-tourism.

Tourists have resorted to taking overnight buses instead of booking a hotel, with Tokyo-based bus operator Willer Express noting that the average occupancy rate of express buses went up 5 per cent to 86 per cent in 2024, according to Nikkei Asia.
A survey conducted by the company in October also showed that over 60 per cent respondents said they took overnight buses since accommodations were too expensive.
With this in mind, the operator is expecting a majority of their demand to come from tourists bound for Tokyo to attend concerts and similar pop culture-based events, who can not only avoid having to pay for a hotel but also get a proper night’s sleep.
In November…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…