Japan’s First Full-Scale Public-Sector Adoption of Portable Disaster Bunk Beds Begins with the Cabinet Office and Ground Self-Defense Force

Support Marketing Service Co., Ltd., based in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture and led by Representative Director Shinichi Arakawa, announced that its portable disaster-use bunk beds were introduced to Japan’s Cabinet Office and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force garrisons in March 2026. This marks Japan’s first full-scale adoption of disaster-use bunk beds by local governments and public institutions. Following the inclusion of evacuation-life improvement and privacy protection in the guidelines for the FY2025 supplementary budget program, the Regional Future Grant for Emergency Regional Disaster Preparedness, the company will begin a full-scale nationwide rollout to municipalities. The product is positioned as strategic disaster-prevention equipment that municipalities can introduce using a 1/2 subsidy rate. In Japanese evacuation shelters, the space allocated per person is generally around 3 square meters, often below the 3.5 square meters required by the international humanitarian Sphere Standards. Conventional floor mats significantly restrict living space once passageways are secured. By expanding usable space vertically, this product can effectively double personal space within limited floor areas. The lower bunk can be used for sleeping, while the upper bunk can serve as a children’s play area or storage space for belongings and supplies, helping reduce evacuee stress while improving privacy. Disc-O-Bed, for which Support Marketing Service is the authorized distributor in Japan, is a disaster-prevention bunk bed designed to improve space efficiency and livability in evacuation shelters. It contributes to stress reduction and better hygiene, can be installed quickly during emergencies, and is already widely used by the U.S. Army. Its three-way design allows it to be used as a bunk bed, single bed, or bench depending on the situation. Key features include tool-free setup by two adults in about 10 minutes; a load capacity of 227 kg per bed; durability for repeated use and long-term evacuation; a hammock-style structure that distributes body pressure without requiring a separate mattress; compact storage at just 11 to 14 cm thick; and phase-free use for disaster drills, staff nap rooms, and community events during normal times. The Regional Future Grant for Emergency Regional Disaster Preparedness supports equipment such as simple beds that improve evacuation living conditions. Grant limits are 60 million yen for prefectures, 50 million yen for designated cities, core cities, and central core cities, and 40 million yen for municipalities, with a 1/2 subsidy rate. The company is currently accepting requests from municipal officials nationwide for product demonstrations and sample unit loans. Product specifications include Disc-O-Bed L, measuring L208 x W82.5 x H92 cm when deployed, 14 cm thick when stored, with a 227 kg load capacity; Disc-O-Bed LL, measuring L208 x W100 x H92 cm when deployed, 11 cm thick when stored, with a 227 kg load capacity; and Disc-Bunk, measuring L208 x W82.5 x H105 cm when deployed, 11 cm thick when stored, with a 227 kg load capacity. Adoption records as of March 2026 include 10 units for the Cabinet Office and 19 units for the Ground Self-Defense Force. The company states that disaster preparedness must not only be about stockpiling but about equipment that is genuinely useful in real emergencies. Through this product, Support Marketing Service aims to help protect human rights in evacuation shelters and plans to strengthen demonstrations across municipalities nationwide, targeting adoption by 100 municipalities by 2027.