I remembered these places back in Kuala Lumpur, it is cosy, easy on eye and stacks of mangas lining the wall waiting to be rented by patrons. The shops do not have facilities described like in the following article but they do have an almost similar concept to it. For otakus, it is also a place to check up and sometimes pick up girls, since they share the same passion for manga. I do wonder how well it will do, if something like this open in Western nations.
Tokyo's 'manga ' cafes serve a restless generation
TOKYO — Whether they be 200-year-old teahouses or modern-day coffee shops, "kissaten" (traditional cafes) hold a special place in Japan's national psyche. These are places where green tea greased the cogs for secret rendezvous between shogun and coup-plotting rebel leaders, and where kimono-clad girls doled out sexual favors over a brew of Vienna's finest. They are also where longhaired hippies could wig out all day on obscure free jazz records for the price of an American blend. A trip to a "kissaten" has long been about a whole lot more than just sipping on a hot beverage.
The latest incarnation of this noble trend, "manga kissa," can be found almost exclusively in metropolitan areas, hovering out of sight a few floors above or below ground level. They play host to a round-the-clock procession of no-nonsense businessmen, bashful teenage couples, students and parents who can leave the kids at the on-site nursery and indulge in a quick fix of manga and mocha.
Full article.
An old article.
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