Japan’s record-breaking international tourism boom has sent hotel rates soaring but one company believes it has found a solution for budget travellers: a capsule hotel bus.
Equipped with special seats that unfold into 12 flat bunk beds, the double-decker bus accommodates up to 24 passengers and will begin a weekly service on a trial basis between Tokyo and southern Japan's Kochi prefecture.
The 13-hour trip, launching March 4, will cost 7,300 yen (US$48) one way during a trial period with a regular service to launch later this year.
The service is expected to attract budget-minded international travellers as well as young adults travelling to concerts and others events in the capital.
The bus, named ‘Sommeil Profund’ - French for deep sleep - has adopted new government safety regulations intended to secure passengers with reinforced seat belts and protective railings in case things go bump in the night.
Akitoshi Umebara, president of operator Kochi Ekimae Kanko, said, ”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.”