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Tokyo’s “Cafe Refugees” Seek Seats as Remote Workers Crowd Coffee Shops
Why is it so damn hard to find a seat at a cafe in Tokyo these days? Tourism is one factor — but not the only one.
It’s hard to find a place to sit and rest in Tokyo for free. However, it’s even getting harder to find a place to sit and rest if you’re willing to pay. The change in cafe usage in Japan is prompting businesses to manage more closely how long people sit and dawdle.
Not just Shibuya
Since the end of the global health crisis, people have taken to social media in Japan to declare themselves “cafe refugees” (カフェ難民; kafe nanmin). No matter where they go, these poor folk can’t seem to find a cafe, kissa, or coffee shop that’s not packed to the gills. With the number of free places in Tokyo where people can rest also declining, that leaves wary weekend consumers without any space to catch their breath.
Shueisha surveyed the scope of the problem in an article last month. In areas such as Shibuya, it’s nearly impossible to get into a cafe on the weekends without waiting 30 to 90 minutes.
