"Just One Employee, Yet Revenue Up 25%" - Container Hotels Gain Traction in Japan

Unique Accommodations with Saunas and Barbecues Also Emerge
Business Expands to Target Tourist and Business Travel Demand

Small unmanned hotels using shipping containers are attracting attention in Japan as a new lodging business model. They can reduce operating costs by running with minimal staff while flexibly responding to local accommodation demand from tourists, business travelers and others. They are drawing particular interest as a business model that differs from conventional hotels because the facilities themselves can be moved to other areas when lodging demand shifts.

Punkchuwol, a regional trading company headquartered in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, is scheduled to open a trial container-style lodging facility with a sauna in Bihoro, Hokkaido, on the 10th. Punkchueol

Yonhap News reported on October 7, citing the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and other sources, that Pungkeu Chuwol, a regional trading company headquartered in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, plans to open a container-style lodging facility with a sauna on a trial basis on October 10 in Bihoro, Hokkaido. The hotel is being built at Bihoro Midori no Mura, a multipurpose forest recreation facility in Bihoro. It consists of four lodging containers, and this is the first time Pungkeu Chuwol has operated a lodging facility itself.

The hotel is focused on using the area's abundant natural environment to encourage tourists to stay longer. Bihoro has tourist attractions such as Bihoro Pass, which overlooks Lake Kussharo, but many visitors have stayed only for day trips, limiting the extent to which visits translate into local overnight stays and spending. The plan is to build a lodging facility that takes advantage of the area's natural surroundings, giving tourists a reason to stay and spend rather than simply pass through.

Unmanned Check-In and Outsourced Cleaning Expected to Cut Operating Costs 

The hotel plans to reduce labor costs by using unmanned nighttime operations and a self-check-in system. It will also differentiate itself with an "all-inclusive" package combining lodging, meals and sauna use. Guests will be provided with a barbecue dinner and breakfast featuring Hokkaido ingredients, a minibar stocked with alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, and access to a private sauna for 90 minutes.

Container hotels also require consideration of costs related to securing land, installing infrastructure, heating and cooling, insulation performance, and maintenance. Even if the facilities can be relocated, transportation and reinstallation costs arise during the actual move. NEWSCAST

The trial operation will run from October 10 through November 15. During this period, the lodging fee will be 5,000 yen (approximately KRW 43,000) per adult and 2,500 yen for elementary school students. Preschool children staying with an accompanying adult without separate bedding can stay free of charge, while an accommodation tax will be charged separately. These rates are special prices for inspecting the facilities and services ahead of the official opening. Guests will be asked to complete a survey and take part in an interview after checkout.

The hotel aims to officially open in April 2027, after which rates are expected to be set at 18,000 to 20,000 yen per night. The company also plans to attract not only ordinary tourists but also long-stay guests and remote workers by providing a shared workspace nearby. Unmanned container hotels have already shown results as a business in Hokkaido.

Equipment company Takahashi Kogyo has operated an unmanned container hotel in Nakashibetsu, eastern Hokkaido, since 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, branches and sales offices of nearby companies closed one after another, and the resulting increase in demand for business-traveler lodging became a catalyst for expanding the business.

Average Room Occupancy Rate Reaches 65%

The hotel's average room occupancy rate was about 65% last year. The cost of building a single container unit is estimated at approximately 20 million yen. Unlike conventional hotels, the facility's ability to be relocated and reused in another area when lodging demand declines or new demand emerges is seen as an advantage. Unmanned operations have also helped reduce costs. Takahashi Kogyo introduced a self-check-in system and outsourced cleaning and facility management work, reducing the number of staff dedicated to hotel operations to one.

Amid labor shortages and rising operating costs in Japan's lodging industry, attention is turning to whether container hotels combining unmanned operations with movable rooms can become a new alternative. NEWSCAST

As a result, hotel business revenue rose 25% from the previous year to 44 million yen (approximately KRW 380 million) last year. The company is reportedly achieving relatively high profitability in its hotel business, separate from its core construction and equipment business. Takahashi Kogyo is also considering expanding into the Hokkaido areas of Chitose and Tomakomai, where Japanese semiconductor company Rapidus is advancing plans for a production facility and large-scale data centers are being developed.

The company is looking to the possibility that construction of semiconductor plants and data centers will increase lodging demand among employees of related companies and construction workers. In Japan, container hotels are being used as small, nature-oriented lodging facilities in tourist destinations and as practical accommodations for business travelers in areas where industrial facilities are being built.

However, container hotels also involve costs for securing land, installing infrastructure, heating and cooling, insulation performance, and maintenance. Even when a facility can be relocated, transportation and reinstallation costs arise during the move. Nevertheless, amid labor shortages and rising operating costs in Japan's lodging industry, attention is turning to whether container hotels that combine unmanned operations with relocatable rooms can establish themselves as a new alternative.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.