Coffee, tea and nagging at Japan’s anti-procrastination cafe

TOKYO, April 26 (Reuters) – Writers going through deadlines go to Tokyo’s “Manuscript Writing Cafe” with an understanding – they cannot go away till their work is finished.

Oh, and there is prodding thrown in to verify they buckle down and end.

The clear, well-lit place in western Tokyo has 10 seats reserved for writers, editors, manga artists and anyone else grappling with the written phrase and deadlines. Espresso and tea are limitless and self-serve, and high-speed Wi-Fi and docking ports are put in at each seat.

Clients enter, write down their names, writing targets and the time they plan to complete. They will additionally ask for progress checks as they work, with “delicate” simply asking them if they’ve completed as they pay and “regular” being a check-in each hour.

These selecting “exhausting” will really feel silent strain from employees standing steadily behind them.

Proprietor Takuya Kawai, 52 and a author himself, mentioned he hoped the strict guidelines would assist individuals focus.

“The cafe went viral on social media and persons are saying the principles are scary or that it looks like being watched from behind,” the genial Kawai mentioned, displaying a board with the names of consumers who accomplished their duties and left.

“However really as a substitute of monitoring, I am right here to assist them … In consequence what they thought would take a day really was accomplished in three hours, or duties that often take three hours have been achieved in a single.”

The cafe fees 130 yen ($1.01) for the primary half-hour after which 300 yen ($2.34) each successive hour. Although a couple of individuals have stayed previous the official closing time, they’ve all ultimately gotten their work achieved.

Emiko Sasaki, 37 and a weblog author, mentioned she relished the prospect to be freed from pesky social media and cellphone calls.

“It is good to have the ability to consider writing,” she mentioned, finishing her aim of three weblog articles in three hours.

The cafe, initially a livestreaming house, was hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic, however Kawai is now hopeful as phrase of mouth spreads about its new format.

“I do not know what sort of work could be born, however I am proud to have the ability to provide my assist in order that issues written right here will be revealed to the entire world,” he mentioned.

Reporting by Elaine Lies; Ediitng by Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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