Japan Manga cafés are also known as
Manga kissa (漫画喫茶, マンガ喫茶). Manga cafés are spaces where people can read manga/comics and relax. Manga cafés differ from standard coffee establishments by offering guests private individual booths and the option to stay for between 30 minutes and all night long. The first manga café was established in 1979 in a small coffee shop in
Nagoya City. "
Net café refugees" (netto kafe nanmin - people who substitute 'manga cafés' for their domestic residences) is a recent social phenomenon brought about by changing forms of leisure, information technology, social behavior, and the long-term contraction of the Japanese domestic economy. The utility of leisure spaces in Tokyo has shifted along with changes in the work habits and professional expectations of the Japanese poor and lower middle class.
South Korea As the number of café chains expands, some are combining traditional cafés with other content services to satisfy consumer demand. For instance, Nolsoop blends cafe offerings with a cartoon room in
Korea. Beoltoon and Kongtoon have followed as well. In addition to providing comics and drinks, these shops also offer a variety of food and services. Usage fees and hours are available in 1-hour increments, and if a drink is bought with the hour, the space can be used at a cheaper price. An increasing number of manga cafes are appearing within movie theaters. Manga cafés are not just places to enjoy comic books and novels. They are increasingly becoming a diverse range of play spaces for eating, board games, and relaxation.
Other countries Manga cafés have recently begun to spring up as alternatives to traditional public libraries and other spaces. In July 2006, the first manga cafe in Europe opened in
Paris, France. On October 19, 2008, in
Toulouse, a library of manga and cyber cafés based on the Japanese concept opened. Finally, a similar manga and cyber café opened in late 2011 in
Lyon Place Vendome. In 2010, a manga café and shop opened in
Belgium in Braine l'Allemagne in the Brabant Wallon called 'Cat's Eye Manga Cafe.' In early 2013 Belgium's largest coffee shop (230 m2) opened in
Brussels. This is called Otaka - Manga Café. In 2011, the first manga café in
North America, O-Taku Manga Lounge, opened in
Montréal, Canada, reflecting the region's growing interest in manga and Japanese culture. In 2012, a manga café opened in
Finland, the first in Northern Europe. However, as of August 2023, it has been closed. In 2014,
Algeria's first manga cafe, HB Manga Kissa, opened in
Algiers. This was the first such establishment in Africa and the Arab world. == Criticisms ==