Typically, creative work requires comfort and just the right amount of pressure. Most cafes today are designed with the top priority of helping customers relax, rest or chat. In contrast, Manuscript Writing Cafe was born with the purpose of providing a comfortable space with just the right amount of pressure, dedicated to writers.
Outside Manuscript Writing Cafe
Sign hanging in front of the shop
Located in Koenji district, Tokyo, Manuscript Writing Cafe is only open to people working in the literary profession such as screenwriters, writers, journalists, etc. The premises of the cafe are rented from a recording studio, so the space is quite small, and can accommodate up to 10 guests. The walls and ceiling are decorated with minimalist red bricks, creating an intimate and cozy feeling.
The shop is open from 1pm to 7pm.
The cafe has a small space and minimalist decoration.
When entering the Manuscript Writing Cafe, customers will have to inform the staff about their work and the type of writing they are doing. For example, novels, newspapers, and scripts are popular products. In addition, the cafe also accepts customers to do translation, editing, project planning, or naming comics. After that, customers are given a form to fill in their full name, the time they plan to stay at the cafe, and the goals they need to accomplish for the day. For example, they must specify the number of words they need to write, the number of manuscript pages they need to edit, the number of documents they need to translate, etc.
In particular, Manuscript Writing Cafe allows customers to choose... the level of pressure in their work. The staff will directly check the customer's progress every hour. They can give gentle feedback or shout loudly - depending on the customer's request. From questions like "How are you doing?", "There's one hour left until the deadline", to harsh, somewhat critical words.
"I only dared to choose the lowest prompt level with the goal of writing 500 words in 2 hours" - Hananko Montgomery, a writer for Vice shared her own experience. She believes that letting others provoke her while writing is unnecessary, creativity should come with a feeling of comfort.
After completing the form, customers are free to choose their seats and are provided with power outlets, Wi-Fi, fast chargers and laptop cooling pads.
A customer is working on a deadline in the shop.
Registration form before entering the cafe.
Customers are provided with a power outlet after completing the application.
In an interview with Vice, novelist Mariko Tomioka said that she rarely works at cafes because she can concentrate better at home. However, recently she felt claustrophobic when writing stories at home as usual. Introduced by her husband, Mariko went to Manuscript Writing Cafe to experience the service.
"I just finished a manuscript of 3,500 Japanese characters and 1,750 English characters. In just two hours, I finished a job that would have taken several days to do," Mariko said.
The writer admits to being easily distracted. When she goes to a regular cafe, she is affected by the surrounding noise and her phone. Manuscript Writing Cafe creates the right environment and deadlines to help Mariko (and her colleagues) get their work done on time.
The cafe welcomes writers and cats and dogs.
On Twitter, Takuya Kawai, owner of Manuscript Writing Cafe, shared: “We only welcome those who are 'running a deadline'. Thank you everyone for your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the tense atmosphere of the cafe.”
The menu at Manuscript Writing Cafe is also very simple, consisting of only two main drinks: drip coffee and water. However, customers do not have to order each item separately. For 1.2 USD (about 27,000 VND) for every 30 minutes of service at the shop, customers can order as much water as they want. On the other hand, customers can bring their own drinks and food from outside.
The menu is very simple, just water and drip coffee.
Customers are only allowed to leave the restaurant after completing the deadline.
At Manuscript Writing Cafe, customers are only “allowed” to leave the cafe when they complete their registered goals, or until the cafe closes. Customers can also buy food at nearby convenience stores, or order food to be delivered to the cafe.
Manuscript Writing Cafe is usually open from 1pm to 7pm, but it is closed during the week. Customers who want to "run a deadline" here should check the cafe's website to see its weekly schedule.
