Tokyo – A new Japanese hostel offers guests a bed in a bookcase, proving that the night-time ritual of reading something persists.
Curling up with a book might seem like an obvious way to relax and recharge, but the new Book and Bed Tokyo concept hotel suggests that people are willing to check themselves in for the night to experience ‘the blissful instant of falling asleep’ brought about by reading.
Guests are warned not to expect fluffy pillows – the aim is to achieve literary lethargy, not necessarily a good night’s sleep. There are just two types of cabin, emphasising the simplicity of limited choice, and keeping the guests mindful of the reason they are here: to read, to dream, perchance to sleep. There are no doubles – this is the scene of a love affair with physical books – although access to wifi does not preclude digital literary philandering.
There is an enduring appeal to enjoying physical books, which we explore in The Future of Books market report, which analyses the buoyancy of the physical book market, despite growth in digital literary consumption.