Otaku USA Magazine
Latest Akihabara trend: sleeping cafes

Akihabara, Tokyo’s district for electronics and mecca for anime fans around the globe, continues to astound with its variety of hyper-niche cafes, restaurants and emporia catering to all walks of geek life.

Maid cafes? Old news. At Soine-ya, the latest establishment designed to substitute for a social life, otaku pay lofty sums to fall asleep next to women. Yes, next to.

20 minutes of shuteye at Soine-ya, which translates as “sleeping together shop,” cost 3,000 yen ($38), while actual physical contact can rack up an even higher bill: 10 minutes of hand-holding goes for 1,000 yen, as does three minutes of your sleeping partner lying on your arm. Hugs are where things get really nuts: prices range from 5 seconds at 1,000 yen ($13) to 60 for 10,000 yen ($127).

Opinions on the sleeping cafe have been mixed, with some opining Soine-ya is a harmless venture designed to help socially awkward men feel a human connection, some deeming it creepy and exploitative, and still others expressing bemusement.

Japanese news website getnews.jp has posted a video of their visit to the cafe. Nothing untoward happens, but we dare you to watch it and not feel a little strange.

Source: https://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/98632.php

Matt Schley

Matt Schley (rhymes with "guy") lives in Tokyo, and has been OUSA's "man in Japan" since 2012. He's also written about anime and Japanese film for the Japan Times, Screen Daily and more.

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