Japan brings alternative to hotels for tourists, launches new sleeper with flat bunk beds, for just Rs...

Japan has launched a unique bus that has hotel like facilities. One of them being fully flat seats that eliminates the need for paying at hotels. This feature especially helps travellers stay comfortable and within budget.  

Facilities in the new sleeper bus 

The new double-decker, with operator Kochi Ekimae Kanko, is a service that is called a “mobile capsule hotel” that comes with curated seats that fully recline to transform into flat bunk beds.  

Japan's first sleeper bus with fully flat seats could soon help budget-conscious travelers cut back on increasingly pricey hotel stays.https://t.co/LR61XYVskM

— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) February 4, 2025

Dubbed "Sommeil Profond" (French for "deep sleep"), the bus will launch a weekly trial run between Tokyo and Kochi prefecture in southern Japan starting March 4. 

https://t.co/Hf5hopXWg3
昨日見つけたフルフラットになる高知駅前観光の長距離バス
昼間はどうなっているのか気になりすぎて

動画を見たら2階になった場合、横に壁がないから多少の恐怖でアトラクションぽいかと想像してしまいました https://t.co/M0tZ3gQCYS pic.twitter.com/90YbGc7k6t

— amy/ｴｲﾐ (@daisukiechan) January 29, 2025

As per Nikkei Asia, the bus features 12 bunk beds, meaning there will be space for 24 passengers, and will be priced at ¥7,300 (Rs 4,050.63) during the trial period, after which it will cost ¥14,000 (Rs 7,770). 

“Many people think of overnight buses as cheap but uncomfortable. I want to give them the option of lie-flat seats and turn buses into the transportation option of choice,” Kochi Ekimae Kanko president Akitoshi Umebara said. 

The tourists will be able to fully rest in the sleeper bus while traveling from one place to another, for example to attend an event they would not need to book a hotel for a night and can return home fully rested, according to the South China Morning Post. 

Rising hotel prices led to the need for an alternative 

After the pandemic era, Japan has been witnessing surge in tourists that led to rising hotel prices. The official figures were released last month which showed a flux of 36 million tourists in 2024 with Kyoto and Hokkaido being the popular tourist destinations. The two areas increased the accommodation or bathing taxes to discourage overwhelming tourists.  

This led to tourists resorting to overnight buses and ditching hotels. Tokyo-based Willer Express reported a notable surge in demand for express buses, with occupancy rates rising 5% to 86% in 2024, as cited by Nikkei Asia.  

The company conducted a survey last October that showed more than 60 percent respondents claiming taking overnight buses to escape expensive accommodations in hotels. In such a situation, the company believes that their major demand will come from tourists heading for Tokyo to attend concerts and culture-based events, with an aim to avoid expensive hotel stay and an appropriate night's sleep.