Lawson, a convenience store group in Japan, is going to begin offering a paid, overnight stay service at its parking lots for travelers. The service will start with a trial next week at 6 different stores located in Chiba Prefecture, situated east of Tokyo. Most of these stores are located off a major highway, and all of them already have a reasonable number of parking lots.
Upon a successful trial, the franchise will look to expand this service to other stores around the country.
The cost to rent out one lot will be 2,500 yen (about $17 based on 1 USD-146.33 JPY) from 18:00 to 9:00 the next morning.
With the rise in travelers spending the night in cars, Lawson claims that there is a lack of parking lots for people to spend the night. With restrooms, food, and drinks available at any time at the convenience store, the company hopes to be able to create a “convenient” stay for travelers.
“We can also provide a sense of security since there are always staff in the store,” the company said.
I actually really like this idea. I’ve never been on a road trip in Japan that included an overnight stop somewhere, but it’s not an uncommon thing outside the major cities. Parking lots are pretty hard to come by in Japan though, unless you’re already on the highway and stop at a rest area. At the same time, many of these convenience stores have open parking lots overnight, despite most of them being open for 24 hours. I think this is a good use of land space and offers an option for budget-friendly travel, while Lawson looks to monetize something unique.
Featured image via Wikipedia Commons.
