Japan’s first bunk-bed bus allows tourists to skip the hotel

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.”

#高知駅前観光　KOCHI EKIMAE KANKO
高知200か・307　KL-MS86MP　　高知市内　2020.3.20
高知駅～高知竜馬空港 pic.twitter.com/gxSAbwejvG

— ITM32✈️ (@itm_jgp) May 3, 2020

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w

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/ｴｲﾐｰ🌴🎶⛑️ (@daisukiechan) January 29, 2025

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.

A survey showed over 60 per cent respondents said they took overnight buses since accommodations were too expensive (AFP via Getty Images)

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 2024, the Japanese ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism established a set of safety guidelines for operators, specifying mandatory design elements like plates that can secure passengers from sliding off their sleeping area and ensuring that passengers always wear their seat belts.

It is still unclear if passengers will be able to sit up once the seats are converted into flat beds or get in and out of their bunks while the bus is in motion.

According to the operator’s website, passengers can start making bookings for the Sommeil Profond bus from Friday.