Work from home is an option that has been adopted by companies all over the world in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. This surely has its pros and cons; and one of the major cons, especially for writers and creative artists, is how they should meet their deadlines. Since they have the luxury of time and can set their own pace, procrastination becomes a habit. Further, it becomes difficult to focus due to plenty of distractions at home. If you are also someone who procrastinates writing till the last minute, this unique café in Tokyo is ideal. Known as the Manuscript Writing café, the eatery denies permission to writers from leaving until they meet their deadlines!
The Manuscript Writing café is open exclusively to writers who are working on tight deadlines, as per the official website. The moment you walk into the cafe, you have to mention on a card what your goal for the day is and by when you can expect to finish it. The manager will then ask you about your progress every hour, and you will not be able to move out to the check-out counter until your work is complete. You can choose from three different kinds of progress checks - normal, mild or hard. The idea is to provide a distraction-free environment that can stimulate creativity and be conducive to quick and lucid writing.
There are a total of 10 seats at the cafe, four counter seats, four window seats and one tabletop. Each seat is provided with access to a power outlet, a USB charger, and a laptop cooling stand. Outdoor seating is also available for smokers. The café charges USD 1 for the first 30 minutes followed by USD 2.34 for the subsequent hours. You can also choose drinks such as drip coffee, black tea or Japanese tea from the free drinks counter.
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The owner of the Manuscript Writing café, Takuya Kawai, is a 52-year-old gentleman who is a writer himself. "The cafe went viral on social media and people are saying the rules are scary or that it feels like being watched from behind," Kawai said to Reuters. "But actually, instead of monitoring, I'm here to support them ... As a result, what they thought would take a day actually was completed in three hours, or tasks that usually take three hours were done in one."
What did you think of this interesting and unique café in Tokyo? Do you think it is a blessing for writers on tight deadlines? Tell us in the comments.