Being a manga addict, Japan’s manga cafes are hands down my favorite hideout in the country. Manga cafes (also known as internet cafes) provide you with personal space, internet connection, a free flow of drinks, and of course, a wide selection of manga to read at very reasonable prices. But with strong competition in the business, it seems the basic functions alone aren’t enough to satisfy customers nowadays.Check out these manga cafes that have silently evolved with better services and facilities!
Better food! More food!
Most manga cafes sell a small selection of snacks such as instant ramen, microwaveable meals and finger food since there are people who literally spend the day (or night) at the cafe. Some outlets try to beat the competition with a wider variety of cooked food on their menu. To top that, Manga Kissa Hanako in Gifu Prefecture provides their customers with an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at the unbelievable price of 450 yen (US$4.50)! It seems they also provide a two-hour lunch buffet at 880 yen (US$8.80)
Sick of instant ramen? Here’s a manga cafe with cafe-style food! Pancake Conpara Cafe combines a pancake cafe and manga cafe into one! It splits its premises into two sections, so customers who just want some good pancakes can enjoy their time in a cafe setting. Users of the internet cafe can choose to stay hooked up to the computers while chomping down on some cafe-quality food!
One word: CATS!
A cat cafe and a manga cafe in one. Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner! Run by a cat-loving owner, the five-storey establishment operates as two entities; customers of the manga cafe aren’t allowed into the cat cafe’s premises, but customers of the latter are free to bring manga from the manga cafe into the cat cafe. All customers are entitled to a free flow of drinks.
When onsen meets manga cafe
Most manga cafes have shower rooms installed on their premises, thus making them the perfect resting place for people who’ve missed their last train after a night of partying or overtime work at the office. A quick shower is refreshing, but many Japanese prefer a good relaxing soak in a bath after a long day. Polan-Polan at Hachioji cleverly collaborates with Yasuragi no Yu, a natural hot spring bath facility in the same building, allowing guests who are staying for three hours or more to use the baths at special rates!
Spacious rooms
Manga cafes typically partition their spaces into booths for individual usage, or double booths to cater to couples or manga buddies. There are a few rare gems that provide larger rooms that allows up to four occupants, catering to families or small group gatherings. Some of these family booths even come complete with a kotatsu during winter!
Outdoing the rest with extraordinary facilities!
Some of the larger establishments have billiard tables, darts or table tennis tables within their premises to provide a different source of entertainment for their guests. But even those facilities are starting to look bland when manga cafes housing karaoke rooms, wide-screen cinema rooms and even tanning machines are popping up!
It’s no exaggeration to say that manga cafes these days are raising their standards to compete with business hotels! But among the list of fabulous facilities, the cat-manga combination definitely appeals to me the most. What facilities or services do you wish manga cafes provided?
Source: Naver Matome