Odd jobs on construction sites used to earn Takahashi enough money to pay for a private booth each night at one of Tokyo’s internet cafes. But Japan’s coronavirus lockdown not only cost him his work, ...

"People started using (internet cafes) as cheap alternatives to hotels. From there it gradually morphed into a sort of slightly exotic homeless shelter," said Tom Gill, a social anthropologist at ...

Open around the clock, many internet, manga and video-booth cafes across Japan provide showers, coin laundries, a cafe and most importantly -- private booths with reclining chairs that can be rented ...