This Tokyo cafe won’t let you inside unless you’re a writer or translator with a deadline looming

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And they won’t let you go home until you meet your writing goal for the day.

Writing is a creative process, and a lot of writers will tell you it’s hard to get the creative juices flowing sitting at a work desk in the oppressively stuffy air of an office. That’s why many writers prefer to get their work done in a non-traditional setting, like a cafe.

There’s a potential problem with that plan, though. Cafes are designed first and foremost for relaxing, and that vibe can make it hard to be productive, especially if every time you look up from your notebook or laptop you see other patrons leisurely sipping their coffee without a work-related care in the world. So really, it seems like the ideal solution is the one represented by the Manuscript Writing Cafe, which opened last week in Tokyo’s Koenji neighborhood.

▼ The Manuscript Writing Cafe (Genko Shippitsu Cafe/原稿執筆カフェ in Japanese)

The Manuscript Writing Cafe is a place just for writers, and they mean it. Prior to being seated, you’ll need to inform the staff of what kind of writing you’ll be doing, with writing a novel, magazine article, or script among the acceptable answers. The cafe’s definition of writing is broad enough to also include the work of translators, editors, proofreaders, copyrighters, and people preparing a manga name (detailed storyboard) or project planning documents. In addition, you’ll have to declare what your writing goal for the day is (number of words written, number of pages translated, number of documents edited, etc.).

Once you’ve declared all that in writing, you can take your seat, which is equipped with power outlets, quick chargers, and cooling stands, log in to the cafe’s wi-fi, and get to writing. Once an hour, a staff member will come by to check if you’ve made any progress to your goal, and you can request for them to apply a mild, medium, or high level of verbal pressure.

▼ “Only people with a deadline looming can be admitted to the Manuscript Writing Cafe!” tweets owner Takuya Kawai. “Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the cafe’s sense of tension.”

The menu is simple, with drip coffee being the only available beverage other than water. On the other hand, the price is extremely affordable, as customers are charged a rate of 150 yen (US$1.20) per 30 minutes at the cafe,and have access to unlimited refills for as long as they stay.

Speaking of stay length, remember how you have to give your writing goal for the day when you enter the cafe? You’re not allowed to end your session until you reach your goal or the cafe closes for the day, whichever comes first, so be careful not to get too ambitious when declaring your goal.

▼ The cafe’s interior

As for why the Manuscript Writing Cafe has such a simple menu, that’s because the building’s primary purpose is as a recording and broadcasting studio called Koenji Sankakuchitai. The Manuscript Writing Cafe runs during the studio’s downtime on select days. If you do get hungry, though, you’re allowed to bring in your own food, and beverages too. Though you can’t completely check out of the cafe until you reach your writing goal, trips to the convenience store across the street to pick up snacks are permitted, as is having food for you delivered to the cafe through services such as Uber Eats or Demaekan.

When operating, the Manuscript Writing Cafe is usually open from 1 to 7 p.m., but because it works around the studio’s schedule, it’s not open every day. Upcoming schedules get posted on the cafe’s website here, with the next day for the Manuscript Writing Cafe to be open coming up on April 20.

Cafe information
Manuscript Writing Cafe / 原稿執筆カフェ
Located at Koenji Sankakuchitai / 高円寺三角地帯
Address: Tokyo-to, Suginami-ku, Koenji ita 2-1-24
東京都杉並区高円寺北2-1-24
Website

Source: Manuscript Writing Cafe via IT Media
Top image: Pakutso
Insert image: Manuscript Writing Cafe
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