Cafes lined with computers and offering access to the Internet have begun to appear in Tokyo. The shops provide customers with access to information on such diverse topics as politics, economics, music, and fashion from countries around the world via the Internet in a casual setting where they can enjoy coffee or beer. The novel approach has caught on with customers, and business appears to be prospering.
In the United States, a nation at the forefront of personal computer and Internet development, Internet cafes have become quite popular. While the trend is just beginning in Japan, the cafes are drawing interest as places where people can go to gather information and find out about the latest news and trends.
One such shop opened in late June in Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district. The shop seats approximately 30 customers and has about 10 computers sitting on tables; the terminals are usually full from the late afternoon on.
The shop charges a flat 2,000 yen rate for unlimited use of the computers and one beverage. An additional 1,000 yen fee is required for every hour connected to the Internet. The shop's diverse clientele have a variety of reasons for coming, from shopping on the Internet to looking up the latest hits on the European and American music charts and browsing the catalogue of the Louvre museum. Among the customers are many novices who come to explore the Internet for the first time, and the shop staff answers any questions they may have.
Internet cafes first appeared in Tokyo in early summer. Each shop has its own focus, with some concentrating on providing general Internet access and electronic mail services and others specializing in listing home pages devoted to music and fashion. It is likely that the number of Internet cafes will increase as indicated by the large number of cafe owners visiting the new shops and asking questions about running such a business.
Previously, cafes featuring new trends, beginning with television and followed by music, telephones, and video games, have enjoyed great popularity. However, with each of these fads, as the technologies began to spread to home use their popularity as cafe attractions faded. It remains to be seen what will be the fate of the current Internet cafes.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)