Japan's new bunk-bed bus targets travelers skipping pricey hotels

Operator sets test launch for early March as interest in overnight service grows

20250130N bus

Kochi Ekimae Kanko will launch weekly service with lie-flat seats between Tokyo and southern Japan's Kochi prefecture in March. (Photo by Tomonori Washida)

TOMONORI WASHIDA

TOKYO -- Japan's first sleeper bus with fully flat seats could soon help budget-conscious travelers cut back on increasingly pricey hotel stays.

Kochi Ekimae Kanko recently unveiled its new bus equipped with special seats that unfold into flat bunk beds. The bus seats 24 passengers and will begin weekly service on a trial basis between Tokyo and southern Japan's Kochi prefecture on March 4.

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