Two Japanese companies are teaming up to produce upright ‘nap boxes’ that they claim will help solve the Asian country’s notorious overwork problem.

Tokyo-based furniture specialist Itoki Corporation and Koyoju Gohan, a plywood supplier from Hokkaido, recently signed a license agreement to start production of a bizarre-looking contraption that they claim will tackle the overwork phenomenon in Japan’s offices. It basically consists of an upright wooden pod that will allow users to enter and use as a private space to sleep standing up…

It might sound like a bad joke, but this is a real product that will probably be introduced in Japanese offices in the near future. With workers spending so much time at work, some will catch those much-needed minutes of shut-eye anywhere they can, in their employers’ bathrooms, on the train during their commute, or even at their desks. The nap pods at least ensure that they are comfortably supported so that they don’t fall over.

“In Japan, there are a lot of people who will lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while, which I don’t think is healthy. It’s better to sleep in a comfortable location,” Saeko Kawashima, communications director at Itoki, said in a recent interview. “I think a lot of Japanese people tend to work continuously with no breaks. We are hoping that companies can use this as a more flexible approach to resting.”

 

The nap boxes, which have been compared to human-sized water heaters or upright tanning beds, reportedly offer comfortable support for the head, knees, and back, allowing users to take sort naps without having to worry about falling over.

Price and availability haven’t been announced yet, but Kawashima said that her company hopes the nap boxes will boost employee productivity while also promoting a healthy work culture. Yeah, good look with that…