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The other day I was asked about Japan’s Internet cafe environment by my friend abroad, then today I would like to talk about it.

I’m sure you also have Internet cafe in your country, but the fee and service would be wide-ranging and diverse in each country.

In Japan all cafes have their own fee structures and here is one example which is considered “reasonable.”

– Fee Structure

3 Hours : 900 yen (US$11)
5 Hours : 1,100 yen (US$14)
8 Hours : 1,800 yen (US$23)
8 Hours (at night) : 1,400 yen (US$18)

Overtime Rate : extra 100 yen in every 15 minutes

As you can see, it costs you about 300 yen per hour and the longer you stay, the cheaper the fee per hour would be. The above are only for weekdays, on weekends 30% of the regular fare is added in most cafes.

There are some differences in how wide or comfortable their seats are and then comfortable cafes charge relatively high prices. (They have two kinds of seats, one is private and the other is shared. Private seats are more popular and slightly expensive.)

And your membership registration is sometimes required, but the annual fee is a few hundred yen, not so expensive.

– Service Contents

・All you can drink (of 10 – 30 kinds of drinks available)
・Comics and Magazines
・Internet
・TV
・DVD
・Games (PS3 etc.)

Some cafes also provide an optional extra, such as paid fast food, shower and even nail care.

As the number of Internet cafes increases these days, they try to develop their uniqueness by adding extra value to Net, comics, and drinks.

– How People Use

Many people use Internet Cafe just for Internet or reading comics, but not a small number of people use it in a unique way, for example, a businessman or a university student after missing the last train home use “8 Hours (at night)” and wait for the first train till the morning or a businessman takes a nap.

Or it is said that many freelancers and individual business owners use as their own “office” because some cafes are equipped with printers and fax machines.

– My Impression

I used to go there up to 5 – 6 years ago.

I love comics so much that it was my happiest moment to read them without any interruption ^_^

But, I usually use it only on weekends, which means the cafe is too crowded to read popular comics (someone else is reading them).

So, it’s best to go there in the daytime on weekdays.

In contrast, it’s a smart way of using as a “cheap lodging house.”

It charges you only a fraction of what you go home by taxi after missing the last train, thus, “Staying at an Internet cafe is cheaper than going home by taxi.” (I’ve never tried it before, though^^)

Therefore, we can expect soaring sales in Internet cafe business for the time being because of its demand throughout the day and a variety of uses depending on your ingenuity.

Let me share Internet cafe environment in your own country!

This is JAPAN Style!