Selfcafe in Nagoya – How to use?

There are many unmanned cafés called “Selfcafe” in Nagoya.

If you’ve walked around Nagoya, you may have noticed green-colored cafés. These are unmanned cafés known as “self cafés.” They are designed as spaces for working, studying, meetings, or casual conversations. Since there’s no information available in English, it seems they primarily target Japanese customers, but as long as you follow the rules, visitors from overseas can use them without any issues. I’ll explain the rules, how to use these self cafés, and share the advantages I personally experienced. I hope you find this helpful as a reference.

Rule and how to use

First and foremost are the rules. They are displayed on the tables in the café, but unfortunately, they are written only in Japanese.

• Purchase from the café’s vending machine.
• Make an additional purchase if you once leave cafe and use it again.
• Don’t bring your own food or drinks.
• Clean up after yourself once you’ve finished using the space.

Casual conversations are allowed, and online meetings are also okay. However, loud or disruptive behavior is not permitted, so be mindful of your noise level.

When you’re finished, make sure to clean up properly. Dispose of trash in the provided bins. There’s disinfectant alcohol and paper towels available, so be sure to wipe down the table and chair thoroughly.

Payment

Depending on the location, self cafés may not accept Japanese yen in cash. However, they do accept credit cards, so it should be fine for international visitors as well.

While cashless payment options are available, many of them are Japan-specific services, which might not be usable for some international visitors.

I considered explaining how to use the vending machines, but I decided against it—it’s probably unnecessary. Once you’re at the actual location, you’ll likely figure it out. There’s no English guidance, but it should still be straightforward.

Inside cafe

The café I visited had about 15 people even on a weekday morning. Most of them were high school students, but there were also a few older office workers.

There is also a restroom available inside the café.

The chairs have just the right amount of cushioning, so you won’t feel uncomfortable even if you work for long hours.

Each desk is equipped with power outlets, making it ideal for laptop work. The Wi-Fi network name and password are also clearly displayed, so you can connect without any hassle.

For those who don’t understand Japanese, below is some information about Wi-Fi.

• ネットワーク名 means network name.
• パスワード means passwords.

Above is Wifi-speed test result and it is too much for most of people.