Published: June 17, 2025, 03:39 PM
Japan, one of the world’s most sleep-deprived nations, now has a new innovation aimed at tackling its chronic lack of rest. A design firm has created a concept "smart" puffer jacket that uses biometric data to deliver personalized light and sound therapy, helping users fall asleep more easily—even during a commute.
Developed by design studio Konel in partnership with the sleep tech division at NTT DX Partners, the ZZZN jacket responds to data such as heart rate and body temperature, collected via a wearable ring. By analyzing this data, the jacket adjusts its light and sound output to help induce sleep or wakefulness.
Users can switch to "sleep mode" by pulling up the oversized hood, which provides privacy and activates red lighting and soothing sounds designed to mimic slow breathing and calm brainwaves. The system can modify its stimuli depending on how the wearer responds—if stress levels don’t drop, it adjusts to more effective sleep-inducing tones.
Inspired by the traditional Japanese yogi, a quilted sleeping kimono from the Edo period, the jacket blends elements of clothing and bedding. “It’s more like something you fall asleep in and wake up ready to go,” says Konel’s creative director Dai Miyata.
The prototype will be showcased at Expo 2025 Osaka from June 24 to July 7, where visitors can experience it firsthand. While it’s not yet a consumer product, the creators hope it will start a conversation about sleep health and eventually lead to commercial applications.
Sleep deprivation is a growing concern in Japan, which ranks last among 20 nations in sleep duration—averaging nearly 1.5 hours less per night than France, which tops the list. Poor sleep costs Japan up to $138 billion annually, roughly 3% of its GDP, in lost productivity and accidents.
Miyata emphasizes that the jacket isn’t a replacement for good sleep habits but a tool for intelligent rest. “We’re not saying take naps so you can sleep less at night,” he says. “We’re saying that if you’re only getting six hours of sleep, smart naps might help you function like someone who gets eight.”
NTT DX Partners’ Teppei Ogata sees the jacket as a step toward creating a culture that values rest. He envisions future collaborations with apparel brands and enhancements like personalized music options for waking. While the current prototype is manually operated, the team hopes to develop a fully automated, user-adaptive version.
With sleep issues also common in countries like Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, the idea of “portable sleep” might resonate far beyond Japan. As Miyata puts it, “It really does feel like entering a personal space. You feel completely shut off from the noise of everyday life.”
