A writer's haven: Manuscript Writing Café
An “anti-procrastination” café created by a writer for fellow writers, to help them hit their deadlines in a supportive, productive environment
The Manuscript Writing Café is a café and workspace in Tokyo, Japan, that’s entirely dedicated to writers and creatives hoping to make their deadlines. It has been widely described as an anti-procrastination café.
This café has four rules, listed outside the entrance:
Only people who are here to actually write are welcome.
Upon arrival, you must state your writing goal (desired word count and intended completion timeframe) for the session.
The manager/owner will check on your progress every hour.
YOU CANNOT LEAVE THE CAFÉ UNTIL YOU HIT YOUR GOAL!
The Write Benefits - features we loved:
They provide a basket under every seat for your things, plus hanging hooks for your jacket or bag and so on. They have chargers to borrow, and provide laptop raisers.
There is a cover fee to enter, and that price includes unlimited tea, coffee, and access to the workspace, of course (plus the occasional snack from the owner). It’s charged by hour. I paid ¥500 per hour for 4 hours.
Don’t miss:
With only 10 seats available, you will need a reservation. The café also isn’t open every day of the week - since the owner is often the only staff member, it will depend on when he can be there. Reservations can be made on the site in Japanese, but for English language guests, you have to message him on X.
Top tip:
The owner, Takuya Kawai, is a creative and entrepreneur, and he also runs a couple of small museums on “extinct media” - which you can see a sample of in the bathroom. He started this place to help fellow writers meet their deadlines in a quiet, focused environment with a sense of support through shared solidarity. He sees himself as a coach of sorts. “The manager creates an atmosphere by writing here himself,” he said.
The café is located in the Koenji district of Tokyo, and one of the locations for the Extinct Media Museum is nearby. There’s a sneak preview in the loo here!
Writing fuel:
This isn’t your typical café - there is no music playing in the background, and you’ll find no fancy lattes or beautiful pastries to distract you here. Instead, you pay for your time - and a boost in productivity. Included in your per-hour fee is unlimited Japanese drip-bag coffee, teas (a fairly decent variety) and water. If you’re a smoker, there are a few tables outside for you to puff at, and if you need a bite, you can grab one at the konbini across the street.
Hitting a deadline… or else!
Upon entering, you must state your desired word count for the session, and how quickly you’d like to try and reach it - plus your desired level of encouragement: mild, regular, or severe. Make of that what you will. Then you can’t leave until you hit your goal. If you give up before reaching it (or if the café closes before you manage to get close), you’ll pay a fine. If you are almost there by the time they close, sometimes, the owner will keep the place open a little longer to help you get over the finish line.
Encouragement with snacks
Every hour or so, Mr. Kawai will come by with a sign checking on your progress - and offering snacks to help keep your energy up.
Everything you need
The chairs are comfy enough (surprisingly so, for high chairs!), but won’t make you feel so comfy you’ll be tempted to sleep. Aside from the unlimited coffee and tea, you can also borrow spare chargers for a multitude of devices. There are tons of plugs and USB sockets, and each desk comes with a laptop raiser for more ergonomic comfort.
A truly special atmosphere
The quiet, focused atmosphere works! There is something special about the energy of this place - I set a very timid goal of 1,000 words in 4 hours since I wasn’t sure how motivated I would feel. I ended up writing 3,200 words in that time instead. I would absolutely return for another session the next time I’m in Tokyo!
