Introducing Design Concepts for “TENON”: A New Customizable Capsule Bed

Driven by steadily rising inbound tourism and soaring hotel rates, demand for capsule hotels continues to grow. In response, Kotobuki Seating is developing a new capsule bed designed to help hotel operators express their property's unique identity.

Born from this vision, our latest capsule bed, “TENON,” is scheduled to launch in Spring 2027.

Development Background

Travel spending by foreign visitors to Japan reached a record high in the first quarter of 2026. Domestic travel—fueled by concert trips and pop-culture pilgrimages—also continues to show robust growth, driving strong demand across destinations throughout Japan.

As demand has grown, accommodation costs at travel destinations have also risen significantly. While modern travelers are willing to invest in experiences such as cultural activities and events, they remain conscious of cost and time efficiency, seeking to keep overnight accommodation expenses reasonable. Capsule hotels offer an ideal solution to these evolving needs.

Especially in urban areas, a wide variety of capsule hotels are stepping up their efforts to differentiate themselves from competitors—adding on-site saunas and spas, enhancing complimentary services, offering premium amenities, and incorporating modern interior designs. Against this backdrop, Kotobuki Seating set out to challenge the traditionally standardized concept of capsule beds by developing a new model that can be easily customized to suit each owner's vision and interior design.

Design Concept of “TENON”

The overarching design concept is “Departing for the dream world.” Inside the unit, specialized lighting evokes small windows like those found on airplanes or bullet trains, inspiring the excitement of a journey while gently guiding guests toward a peaceful night’s sleep. By creating the impression of natural light filtering into the interior, the design helps reduce the sense of confinement often associated with conventional capsule units.

Furthermore, the entrance panels, side walls, and partition curtains are available in a diverse range of colors. Customizing these elements to align with a hotel’s brand image creates a truly distinctive space. This meets the needs of hotel owners looking to differentiate their properties from competitors and create visually striking, highly shareable environments.

Kotobuki Seating and Capsule Beds

In 1979, Kotobuki Seating commercialized and installed Japan’s first-ever capsule beds at “Capsule Inn Osaka,” the nation’s pioneer in capsule lodging. Since then, our products have been introduced not only in numerous capsule hotels but also in nap rooms for government agencies, railway companies, news organizations, and broadcast networks operating around the clock. Today, our footprint extends internationally, with installations including rest facilities at Hyundai Card’s corporate offices in South Korea and passenger ferries operated by Sweden’s Stena Line. To date, our cumulative global track record stands at approximately 60,000 beds.