New division: Sleep Capsules

In 1979, Kotobuki designed and manufactured the world’s first capsule bed in response to the need for space optimization due to its high cost.

During the more than 40 years that we have been manufacturing Sleep Capsules, we have installed them in airports, workplaces, hotels, hospitals and other spaces; either as a solution to space optimization, or as spaces in which we can rest comfortably, in limited periods of time.

“The capsule house”, designed by Japanese architect, Kisho Kurokawa and presented at the 1970 Osaka Expo site, was what inspired the design of Sleep Capsules. Entrepreneur Yukio Nakano of NEW JAPAN CO.,LTD. became interested in the concept and opened the world’s first capsule hotel, the “Capsule Inn Osaka”, with Kotobuki manufacturing the capsule beds.

The popularity of this hotel and its capsule beds, which allowed the user to have in a small space all the amenities necessary for proper rest, made this concept spread throughout the country, and were even installed in workplaces open 24 hours a day, where it was necessary to have spaces for the rest of the workers. The updating of the concept, design and materials used in its manufacture has meant that the Sleep Capsule concept is still in full force and projects are being developed all over the world.

The “Nine Hours” hotel with its neo-futuristic design and “The Lodge Moiwa 834”, which attracts skiers from all over the world, are 2 examples of the application of this solution in hotels in Japan.

The rest area of the Hyundai Card company in Korea, or the Stena Line ferries in Sweden, are examples of other projects in which our customers have opted for the Sleep Capsules solution.

Download the Sleep Capsules Catalog here(PDF)