Before you give up on Tokyo’s “expensive” cafes, wouldn’t you like to know how to secure a comfortable workspace with Wi-Fi for just 120 yen? This is a must-read for business travelers struggling with rising costs; we introduce the ultimate trick to finding the smartest “coffee and workspace” combo in Japan.
Summary
In Japan, you can work at fast-food restaurants.
If you bring your laptop, you can get things done there, and some locations even offer free Wi-Fi.
By the way, at certain chains, you can get a cup of coffee for around 150 yen.
Characters
Mike: A 12-year-old American boy interested in Japanese culture.
John: Mike’s father, who frequently visits Japan for work.
Kelly: Mike’s mother, who is a skilled cook.
Nobu: A Japanese international student.
Prologue
It seems many Japanese people like coffee, and the coffee sales corners in supermarkets seem quite large. Perhaps they are even larger than the sales area for Japanese tea.
However, isn’t coffee an unexpectedly expensive beverage?
You might not notice it if you only drink canned coffee, but when you try to drink regular coffee, you might be surprised at how unexpectedly expensive it is.
By the way, among those who are going to visit Japan, aren’t there some who are curious about the price of coffee in Japan?
Therefore, in this article, I will introduce cost-effective coffee in Japan in a story format.
High Prices Coffee
Kelly: “The price of food at that supermarket went up too. It really makes me sick of it.”
Mike: “You’re right. I tried to buy some snacks too, but the prices were so high I gave up.”
Kelly: “It’s troubling because the price of everything is going up right now. I’m worried about what’s going to happen from here on out.”
Mike: “Right. I’d hate it if my dinner portions decreased.”
John: “It would certainly be a problem if dinner decreased. Plus, it would be an even bigger problem if I couldn’t eat my favorite foods anymore.”
Kelly: “John, you should lose some weight, so it’s fine if you reduce your meals a little.”
John: “Oh boy, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Mike: “But if that’s the case, don’t we just have to look for stores with good cost performance?”
Kelly: “That’s exactly it. We’ll have to go look at not just the nearby supermarket, but several supermarkets.”
John: “That sounds tough.”
Kelly: “Well then, John, will you go shopping for us?”
John: “Oh boy, I really shouldn’t have said anything again. By the way, I wonder if things like coffee will also get more expensive?”
Kelly: “Of course they will. Things like regular coffee are continuing to go up.”
John: “Well, maybe that’s bound to happen. If things like gasoline get expensive, transportation costs will also jump. If that happens, coffee and such will go up too.”
Kelly: “It ends up that way.”
John: “By the way, if supermarket coffee is going up, does that mean coffee at cafes and such will also go up?”
Kelly: “They might have a set price for now, but isn’t it only a matter of time before the price goes up?”
John: “I’d hate that. The coffee I go drink during breaks from work is exceptional.”
Kelly: “That’s true. It won’t be as easy as saying, ‘Let’s go grab a quick coffee…'”
John: “What a hassle.”
Japanese Coffee Prices
John: “Come to think of it, I’ve ended up having to go to Japan for work. I think it will be over in about 10 days, but it looks like I’ll be living in a hotel.”
Mike: “Wow, that’s nice. A business trip to Japan.”
John: “No, I’m only going to the office districts in Tokyo. I might have meals with the local staff, but I won’t be going anywhere novel. I won’t have any free time to relax, either.”
Mike: “But won’t your work finish in the evening?”
John: “No, the Japanese company I’m visiting this time seems to work until around 10 PM. So, I also have to work until about then. My meals will just be things I can grab easily, and I won’t have time to relax. I probably won’t even have much time to leisurely drink coffee, will I?”
Mike: “That’s a hard schedule.”
John: “Yeah. I want to at least drink coffee leisurely.”
Kelly: “But aren’t prices rising in Japan too? Coffee won’t be cheap either, right?”
John: “That might certainly be true. Economic problems might be on a global scale. Thinking about that, I’m worried about the price of coffee.”
Mike: “I’m curious about the cost performance of Japanese coffee.”
Cost-Effective Coffee and Coworking Spaces
Nobu: “Hello.”
John: “Oh, you came at a good time. We were just talking about the price of coffee in Japan.”
Nobu: “The price of coffee in Japan? …I think prices are probably going up in Japan too.”
Kelly: “Well, it can’t be helped that overall prices are going up. After all, I have to go around to several supermarkets just for this.”
Nobu: “I suppose so. …However, the price of coffee in Japan is on a case-by-case basis. I don’t think there’s such a thing as cheap Blue Mountain.”
John: “No, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I want to drink Blue Mountain. For now, I just want regular coffee that I can drink casually.”
Nobu: “I see. In that case, it just comes down to cost-effective regular coffee for now.”
John: “It ends up that way, doesn’t it?”
Nobu: “Well, there are cafes in the Tokyo metropolitan area too, but they are surprisingly expensive.”
John: “That’s no good. That’s a problem.”
Nobu: “But, you might surprisingly find it at fast-food restaurants. I think regular coffee was priced around 150 yen. The biggest chain with the red sign is like that.”
John: “What, a fast-food restaurant? Isn’t that a place to eat meals?”
Nobu: “No, not necessarily. There are plenty of people who just order coffee and work there. Bringing in their laptop computers. …Well, the risk of laptop theft remains, so safety measures would be necessary.”
John: “But then, does that mean at Japanese fast-food restaurants, you can work on a computer while drinking regular coffee?”
Nobu: “That’s right. There are probably time limits on the Wi-Fi, but it’s quite fast.”
John: “That’s amazing. You’d feel suffocated if you just stayed in the office all the time.”
Nobu: “Oh right. There was one more thing I had to say.”
John: “What is it? That thing.”
Nobu: “Well, fast-food restaurants have smartphone apps, and you can use coupons. If you have those coupons, you get a discount.”
John: “How much of a discount?”
Nobu: “For example, 150 yen becomes 120 yen. …It becomes cheaper than bottled coffee.”
John: “That’s helpful.”
Nobu: “There’s one more thing.”
John: “What’s that? One more thing?”
Nobu: “The french fries are cheap too. You can eat a decent amount for around 400 yen. Well, the portion size might be smaller than overseas, but I think it’s enough to snack on while working.”
John: “A workplace where I can work safely and have cheap, delicious coffee? That’s really helpful.”
Kelly: “Oh, that’s no good.”
John: “Why is that?”
Kelly: “John, you have to lose weight. The coffee is fine, but fries are forbidden.”
John: “That’s a problem.”
The End
From My Experience
I often use fast-food restaurants for work. The environment is usually quiet, and the Wi-Fi is easy to connect to—it’s fast and reliable. Plus, with cheap coffee and snacks like French fries available, I never get hungry or bored.
However, there are definitely some downsides. For one, the place can get very crowded during lunch hours. Hamburgers are especially popular with kids, so families often show up. When that happens, the store gets noisy, making it hard to focus on work.
Another issue is the time limit on the Wi-Fi. It’s frustrating when I’m finally getting into the flow, only for the connection to cut out. It really breaks my momentum.
That said, from the restaurant’s perspective, having someone take up a seat for work isn’t great for their sales. I suppose it’s just something we have to accept.
Conclusion
Starting with the cost performance of Japanese coffee, we even covered the environment of fast-food restaurants. Some people might have felt the appeal of working while drinking coffee.
However, there are manners to follow when using fast-food restaurants in Japan as well. For example, not making too much noise, and not spreading your belongings out too much.
Still, even with that said, a cheap workspace is attractive. It’s a recommended place for people who want to work leisurely, but what do you think?
