From businessmen to teenage couples, people from all walks of life enjoy a visit to their local internet cafe – and often it’s not just to do a bit of web surfing. With internet cafes in Japan typically being places which combine small manga (Japanese comics) libraries and computers to access the internet, a whole host of people drop in to curl up with their favourite comic, surf the net, or even snuggle up with a loved one in a private booth.

There are a number of independent cafes as well as major chains scattered throughout the city and they are easy to find in the major centres – like Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Roppongi. The larger chains are typically open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and its not unusual for overworked businessmen who miss their last train home to make the most of the cafe’s reclining chairs. With many places having a late night rate of just over ¥1,000 for about six hours, bunking here works out to be cheaper than a capsule hotel.

If you visit during the day most places offer private booth seats for around ¥300 to ¥400 per hour, some also have open seats for slightly less. Drinks in many of the larger chains are free of charge and a range of soft drinks, coffee, tea and maybe even corn soup are available at the touch of a button from vending machines. This little touch varies in the smaller cafes, some offer free soft drinks and some don’t. Two normal cafes who offer free internet access are Marunouchi Cafe and Ben’s Cafe.