New Delhi: Writing is a creative job. And the creative juices at times dry up when a deadline nears. Besides, for the words to flow, a writer needs a comfortable place to sit, quiet surroundings, access to food and drinks, and of course good wi-fi.
A cafe in Japan offers all this and more — but allows in only those writers who are on a deadline. Not only that, it won’t even let them leave until they finish their work.
This may sound untrue, but such a cafe indeed exists, in the Koenji district of Tokyo. It opened earlier this month and is called The Manuscript Writing Cafe, according to a Japan Today report.
Takuya Kawai, proprietor of the cafe, took to Twitter to share a photo of the cafe and its big rule — that you need to be a writer trying to meet a deadline if you want to use the cafe.
“The Manuscript Writing Cafe only allows in people who have a writing deadline to face! It’s in order to maintain a level of focus and tense atmosphere at the cafe! Thank you for your understanding”, the post in Japanese read.
「原稿執筆カフェ」は締切に追われてない人は入場できません！店内の緊張感維持のためご理解とご協力をお願いいたします。 pic.twitter.com/ejgPvW9A9T
— 川井さん（高円寺三角地帯） (@TakuyaKawai) April 6, 2022
The cafe, according to the Japan Today report, charges the patron according to the time used, and does not accept cash. The minimum time that you can use the cafe for is 30 minutes. It seats just 10 people, and has USB ports, computer stands and wi-fi for them. The cafe also allows people to bring in their own food and drinks, and even has them delivered.
The “manuscript writing” includes “translation work”, “proposal writing”, “layout work”, and “image processing”, the report said.
The rules about writing, however, are fairly strict.
Sample these:
Once you enter the cafe, you need to write down at the reception desk how many words you plan to write and by what time you are going to finish writing.
The manager would come and ask you every hour how the writing is coming along.
Finally, you are allowed to leave only after you have finished writing.
A first-person report on Vice vouched for this, with the writer saying the manager came by once an hour, usually after a bell in the cafe went off, “to see how far along I am in achieving my goal”.
The Japan Today report said customers can apparently choose different “courses” that determine how rigorously the staff will check in on their progress. For example, choosing an ‘S’ course will see the manager hurrying you along aggressively, while they will do it a more mildly for those opting for ‘M’ course.
