It's a well-known fact that us Tokyoites aren't getting a whole lot of shut-eye. Japan is actually second only to Korea in the OECD's ranking of which countries' residents get the least amount of proper sleep per night, and some local authorities actually recommend a mere seven hours nightly as adequate – already a full hour less than guidelines in most other countries state. No sweet dreams for us...
To combat our perpetual sleep deprivation, Nestlé and the Bed Manufacturers Association All Japan have teamed up for a little pop-up: a 'napping café' in Ginza, that is. The duo did a similar pop-up in Harajuku back in March to popular acclaim, and are now back for round two. This one's on at the Ginza Chairs complex until September 9.
So how does it work? The rather spacious room is kitted out with a dozen or so beds, plus a number of tables fitted with foamy, bendy cushions for you to pop your head through/on/next to for a quickie nap. Pop in for a 30-minute session for ¥200 or go all-out and try to get a few hours of rest with their three-hour plan, available for a mere ¥500.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the majority of the beds are single and everything is very much out in the open – this is not the place for sexy times, even if you happen to be in a voyeuristic mood.
Of course, this wouldn't be Japan if they hadn't thought of all kinds of hi-tech additions to help you get that much-needed rest. Both eye masks with slowly changing lights and noise-cancelling headphones with an exceptionally calming selection of violin and piano music are available.
The eye mask in particular in an interesting piece of work, especially because you can set a timer on it. Over the duration of your chosen time period, the lights inside will go from a very dark blue to a rather bright white light in an effort to emulate the conditions of the sun rising. Nifty, although we're not quite convinced how much of an effect it had on us.
That being said, there may have been another reason for us not feeling that sleepy. Nestlé being Nestlé, they also offer Nescafé coffee at the venue. Apparently it has been scientifically proven that drinking a cup of coffee before a nap will make you more alert and significantly less likely to make mistakes on a test after waking up, compared to not drinking a heap of joe beforehand.
You may think how the heck one is supposed to fall asleep in the first place then – a valid concern, since we didn't manage to get any actual shut-eye with the Nestlé method. Might want to skip the coffee and go straight for the linens at this one.
Do note that the napping café has gotten an insane amount of attention and can be more than a bit crowded: there were queues and some minor chaos on opening day. Head here only if you have some time to spare; perhaps you can work up your tiredness while waiting.
The Ginza nap café is open daily until September 9, from 11am to 9pm, at Ginza Chairs (K-18 Bldg 2F, 8-9-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku).