Manga Cafes (まんがカフェ/まんが喫茶) are, for many, a place to escape, work, or even sleep. You’ve probably seen them in anime, if you haven’t seen them in person, but… what are they? How do they differ from internet cafes in other countries? What are things that manga cafes offer that similar spaces in the west do not?
What are Manga Cafe?
Well, the first clue is in the name: manga cafe have huge selections of manga. Even smaller manga cafes in suburban town are likely to have hundreds of volumes of manga. This is beneficial for manga-heads in two ways: first, while manga are relatively cheap in Japan, collecting an entire storyline — especially a long-running series — can add up over time. Additionally, Japanese homes are relatively small, which means fewer space to actually keep your comics.
While you naturally can’t take any manga home, being able to pay a relatively small amount for a seat where you can sit and read as much manga as you want. That isn’t all, though! Since the first manga cafe was opened in 1979, the rise of the internet saw the two phenomena combine to become the perfect place to relax. Even today, when personal internet access is almost ubiquitous, the chance to have a quiet spot to concentrate can be invaluable.
Manga cafe also offer more than just the basic access to comics and computers. In addition to free-flowing soft drinks, food, and even alcohol, they can also be a haven for people who are looking for somewhere to crash for the night that don’t want to spend much. Today, larger manga cafes, especially in Tokyo, even offer showering facilities for those who want to freshen up during their time.
Net Cafe Refugees
There is a slightly darker side to these services that go above and beyond. These conveniences have grown up alongside — and perhaps have facilitated — the rise of a sub-group of people known as “Net Cafe Refugees” (netto kafe nanmin/ネットカフェ難民). These are people who are often homeless that use manga cafe as a place to stay the evening. This is a result of the diminishing Japanese economy after the boom of the 1980s.
Manga cafes are almost always safe, however. Most Net Cafe Refugees are employed (how else could they afford to stay there?) but cannot always summon up the large amount of money necessary to move into a Japanese apartment, nor the larger costs of night-tonight stays at a hotel. This phenomenon has even been documented in the hit Netflix series Aggretsuko.
Okay, so you’re in Tokyo, you want to hit a manga cafe, either to get your Jujutsu Kaisen fix, to send some e-mails, or just get some sleep until the first train starts. But where should you go? Here’s our list of four top spots.
Kaikatsu Club
This is a major manga cafe chain in Japan, with branches across Tokyo (and, indeed, across the country). These always come in large buildings, and have an astonishing range of amenities. In addition to manga, internet access, food and drink, but also has billiards, darts, karaoke, and even — in some branches — VR experiences. They even have women-only areas!
- Hours: 24/7
- Cost: Basic three-hour stays start at ¥710.
- Website: https://www.kaikatsu.jp/
Hailey’5 Cafe
With only five cafes across Japan (hence the somewhat unusual name) with four in Tokyo and one in Kyoto, this small chain emphasizes quality. Although the prices are a little more than the average manga cafe, guests are impressed by the highquality of the amenities, which include food, drink, and shower facilities, in addition to the usual manga and internet offerings.
- Hours: 24/7
- Cost: Basic three-hour stays start at ¥1650.
- Website: https://www.hailey5cafe.com/
Manboo!
If you’ve ever seen a large manga cafe outside of a major train station, chances are it’s a Manboo!. This chain also has branches across Japan, in addition to its healthy supply of Tokyo locations. In addition to the typical comics and computers combo, it also offers small mattresses and blankets for those wishing to stay the night (which I can vouch for). Some branches also offer nail services for women (this I cannot vouch for).
- Hours: 24/7
- Cost: Basic three-hour stays start at ¥1220.
- Website: https://www.manboo.co.jp/index.html
Gera Gera Manga Cafe
This chain could be thought of as your “old reliable” manga cafe. It has branches across Tokyo. While it may not offer your fancy VR experiences, it is what you might call a “basic” manga cafe, but this undersells it: it understands that people may never have been to such a place before, and is happy to offer help and explanations, along with reasonable rates. Look for the frog, and you’ll find your lilypad.
- Hours: 24/7
- Cost: Basic three-hour stays start at ¥900.
- Website: https://www.geragera.co.jp/
There are, of course, many other independent manga cafe in Tokyo — and across Japan! You’ll often find smaller manga cafe in smaller towns, and while they may not have the same range of facilities as have been detailed here, you can be guaranteed a friendly service.
For our beloved capital, however, there are countless options, whether you’re looking for something fancy, affordable, or even with a game of pool! It’s wild to think that all of this came from a small idea of a cafe with comics in 1979, 46 years ago. But even 46 years from now, even if manga cafe look totally different, I’ll bet on one thing: they’ll still have comics.
