8 ms·

Drop-In Coworking Spaces in Tokyo

125 points by shadylane 11y ago

klinskyc 11y ago
Drop In should probably be Drop-In. After reading the title, I though there was a fall in the number of coworking spaces in Tokyo, which is the exact opposite of the article.
- TulliusCicero 11y ago
  I also thought this, and was very confused once I started reading.
- mrkirkland 11y ago
  Thanks for pointing that out! Article title updated.
alexbowe 11y ago
I'm an ex-Melbournite doing a PhD in bioinformatics algorithms (and succinct data structures) in Tokyo. I'm mainly interested in co-working spaces for cross-pollination of ideas, and friendly challenges. So, if anyone in Tokyo wants to meet up to work on some stuff (together or separately, but in proximity), let me know.
ekianjo 11y ago
Nice ! I'm going to be in Tokyo this weekend, I may drop by one of those places.
patio11 11y ago
There are also a few cafes which are laptop friendly. (That's notable in Tokyo, as most are not -- a combination of high traffic, poor power/wifi situations, and the staff not being pleased with someone holding a table for extended periods.) The one which I know off the top of my head is Nakameguro Lounge, about one minute from Nakameguro Station. The effective price per hour is 600 to 1,000 yen. Also their lunch menu is really fantastic for only about 1,200 yen. Also, as it is about two minutes from my apartment, if you're ever passing through Tokyo drop me a line and your coffee/lunch is on me.
- damian2000 11y ago
  Is the lack of free WiFi due to the coverage of WiFi hotspots run by phone companies there, which require an account?
  - mrkirkland 11y ago
    A variety of reasons, but I suspect a big one is vested interests from paid wifi services. For years it's been the norm to see a cafe full of people all using their own wifi dongles.
  - patio11 11y ago
    Any cafe which wants to make free WiFi available can trivially make free WiFi available. I believe that most which choose to not do this are making the considered product/marketing decision that they do not want long stays from laptop users. They want to turn those tables quickly because $4 to $6 coffees only make Tokyo commercial rents if you sell a lot of them.
    - ekianjo 11y ago
      > They want to turn those tables quickly because $4 to $6 coffees only make Tokyo commercial rents if you sell a lot of them. Then how does Starbucks make money then ? Most of the clients in Starbucks in Japan come for a drink with their computer or iPad and stay an hour or even more without consuming anything else - and they have their own internet access via tethering anyway. Yet Starbucks makes huge profits.
      - patio11 11y ago
        100 million yen per year per store of sales, or roughly 500 tickets per day, is how Starbucks stays afloat.
- mrkirkland 11y ago
  Does the free lunch offer extend to the (cheapo) author? :D
mathrawka 11y ago
No mention of Jelly Jelly Cafe? http://jellyjellycafe.com http://jellyjellycafe.com
- mrkirkland 11y ago
  They didn't reply (or their contact form is broken!)
greggman 11y ago
Four more The Terminal - Harajuku (where I'm posting this from ;) http://theterminal.jp/about.html http://theterminal.jp/about.html ii Office - Ueno https://iioffice.liginc.co.jp/ https://iioffice.liginc.co.jp/ Jelly Jelly Cafe - Shibuya http://jellyjellycafe.com/ http://jellyjellycafe.com/ Open Source Cafe - Shimokitazawa http://www.osscafe.net/en/ http://www.osscafe.net/en/ The Terminal is around ~$13 a day if you pay ~$20 for a year membership. Includes free soft drinks. Yea, just $20. Or you can get a monthly pass for ~$160 II Office is around ~$10 a day also including free soft drinks Jelly Jelly is really tiny and the one time I went it was 100% full so I haven't actually used it. Open Source Cafe is also pretty tiny. It's 2 small rooms, both hold maybe 7 people though I've seen them cram in 15+ for a meeting. I've been to a few on the list co-ba I signed up for a year ago. Plus, if you become a member they give you a security card and it's open 24 hours. Minus, it's pretty minimal, especially the 2nd floor. Feels like I sitting in an elementary school class. kokemasaz feels like someone decorated their garage. Nice DIY vibe. The guy making Voxatron (http://voxatron.com http://voxatron.com) who goes by Zeb online says he sometimes hangs out there. I guess I should mention he runs the picopico cafe (http://picopicocafe.com http://picopicocafe.com) in Kichijoji. It's only open 3pm to 10pm Saturday and Sunday and even then only if they haven't rented the place out (check their calendar) but, possibly because he's an indie game dev a lot of other mostly non Japanese indie game devs hang out there. What kind of shocks me is how much more expensive co-working spaces are in SF and LA. They claim you'll get networking but they're usually > $500 a month for just an unassigned seat at an open table.
- mrkirkland 11y ago
  I emailed the terminal, but it bounced! Also emailed opensource cafe, but no reply. We do mention them on a previous article though. Jellyjelly either their contact form is broken or they didn't want to respond. (all messages were sent in Japanese) I'll see if I can get in touch with iioffice...
- shawnps 11y ago
  Do you know if it's pretty competitive to get the monthly membership at The Terminal? Only the first 10 people who sign up can get it right? ("毎月先着10名様となります。")
sgdesign 11y ago
Nice tips. In Osaka there's Knowledge Salon in Umeda, but you need to know somebody there that can invite you as a guest, so it's not really drop-in… Oh, and you should also post this over at http://www.startjapan.org/ http://www.startjapan.org/ :)
GreaterFool 11y ago
Anyone knows one with standing desk?
- mrkirkland 11y ago
  I know a few cafes with wifi and standing/able desks Streamer Coffee Shibuya -> http://streamercoffee.com/shibuya http://streamercoffee.com/shibuya Lattest Omotesando -> http://tokyocheapo.com/place/lattest-omotesando/ http://tokyocheapo.com/place/lattest-omotesando/
  - GreaterFool 11y ago
    Thanks. They look great. What I need to find though is a proper co-working space / shared office. While I love hanging out in coffee shops I need a place where I can reserve a desk ;-) There's a lot of variety in Tokyo so I should be able to find something.
jason_tko 11y ago
There is also a pretty comprehensive list of co-working spaces (all in Japanese though) here: https://www.makeleaps.jp/%E9%83%BD%E5%86%85%E3%81%99%E3%81%B9%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E4%B8%80%E8%A6%A7/ https://www.makeleaps.jp/%E9%83%BD%E5%86%85%E3%81%99%E3%81%B... Also if you're in Tokyo, don't forget to check out the Hacker News Tokyo community meetup events. The next one is on the 13th of May. Hope to see you there ! https://hntokyo.doorkeeper.jp/events/24116 https://hntokyo.doorkeeper.jp/events/24116
- robzyb 11y ago
  Thanks, just signed up!
saryant 11y ago
This is great! I go to Japan about once a year and for 2016 I'm thinking about spending a month or two working remote from Tokyo. I recently got back from doing the same at a coworking space in Thailand.
hudibras 11y ago
It's good to see all the Japan-based HNers goofing off at work today. HN usually starts dying this time of day (1445 JST) as the West Coast heads to bed...
jordwest 11y ago
This list is missing Open Source Cafe, where I'm sitting right now! I'll be here for another few weeks if anybody is interested in dropping by. http://www.osscafe.net/en/ http://www.osscafe.net/en/ It's in Shimokitazawa, really cool neighbourhood not far from Shibuya.
- intruder 11y ago
  +1 to this. OSC is great. Really adore the place and their activities.
rhia 11y ago
Interesting to see how Tokyo work culture impacts the co-working scene: A lot of them only open at 10 but stay open late in the evening. This is because, due to its size and property prices, many people commute up to 2 hours one way.
- nandemo 11y ago
  I don't follow. I know many salarypeople who have 1.5h+ commutes, because as you say central Tokyo is expensive. But if you're self-employed or doing a startup, why would you travel that far to a co-working space instead of just working from home?
kimar 11y ago
Nice job Mr Kirkland. When can we expect Cheapo guides for other cities?
dk__ 11y ago
Places I haven't tried! All your base are belong to us! Coworking spaces are pretty hit or miss. There's also Academy Hills (http://www.academyhills.com http://www.academyhills.com) on the 49th floor of Mori Tower in Roppongi that runs you 10,000yen/mo. Other options: Jiyugaoka — Robek's Juice — no WIFI, but spacious and has lots of power. Near Jiyugaoka — Radio Plant Cafe — free wifi, but quite small.
akassover 11y ago
Anybody found any good spots to work from in Machida? I'm out that way and have a hard time making the 1 hour trip to go into Toyko to work.
chunkiestbacon 11y ago
Cool, been looking for one. thanks! I've also considered working from internet cafes, but if a coworking space is cheaper, it would make sense to go to one.
radikalus 11y ago
I'll be back in Tokyo May 1-3ish -- psyched to check out Nakame lounge; that's new to me. Fuglen and Maruyama are my two go-to places though neither are great for "working" Streamer/Lattest I would say are not really appropriate for 'working' either. Sure, I've sat in them for an hour or two on occasion, but it doesn't feel exactly appropriate. I'm in and out of TKO a lot. (Live in Shanghai) Will happily trades beers and coffees for tips on good cafes. ^^ Interesting that people mention Shanghai as having a good cafe scene; I like a few of the places here okay but I'd never choose them over a bunch of the better options in tko or the US...

125 points by shadylane 11y ago

Drop In should probably be Drop-In. After reading the title, I though there was a fall in the number of coworking spaces in Tokyo, which is the exact opposite of the article.

TulliusCicero 11y ago
I also thought this, and was very confused once I started reading.
mrkirkland 11y ago
Thanks for pointing that out! Article title updated.

alexbowe 11y ago

I'm an ex-Melbournite doing a PhD in bioinformatics algorithms (and succinct data structures) in Tokyo. I'm mainly interested in co-working spaces for cross-pollination of ideas, and friendly challenges. So, if anyone in Tokyo wants to meet up to work on some stuff (together or separately, but in proximity), let me know.

ekianjo 11y ago

Nice ! I'm going to be in Tokyo this weekend, I may drop by one of those places.

patio11 11y ago

There are also a few cafes which are laptop friendly. (That's notable in Tokyo, as most are not -- a combination of high traffic, poor power/wifi situations, and the staff not being pleased with someone holding a table for extended periods.) The one which I know off the top of my head is Nakameguro Lounge, about one minute from Nakameguro Station. The effective price per hour is 600 to 1,000 yen. Also their lunch menu is really fantastic for only about 1,200 yen. Also, as it is about two minutes from my apartment, if you're ever passing through Tokyo drop me a line and your coffee/lunch is on me.

damian2000 11y ago
Is the lack of free WiFi due to the coverage of WiFi hotspots run by phone companies there, which require an account?
- mrkirkland 11y ago
  A variety of reasons, but I suspect a big one is vested interests from paid wifi services. For years it's been the norm to see a cafe full of people all using their own wifi dongles.
- patio11 11y ago
  Any cafe which wants to make free WiFi available can trivially make free WiFi available. I believe that most which choose to not do this are making the considered product/marketing decision that they do not want long stays from laptop users. They want to turn those tables quickly because $4 to $6 coffees only make Tokyo commercial rents if you sell a lot of them.
  - ekianjo 11y ago
    > They want to turn those tables quickly because $4 to $6 coffees only make Tokyo commercial rents if you sell a lot of them. Then how does Starbucks make money then ? Most of the clients in Starbucks in Japan come for a drink with their computer or iPad and stay an hour or even more without consuming anything else - and they have their own internet access via tethering anyway. Yet Starbucks makes huge profits.
    - patio11 11y ago
      100 million yen per year per store of sales, or roughly 500 tickets per day, is how Starbucks stays afloat.
mrkirkland 11y ago
Does the free lunch offer extend to the (cheapo) author? :D

mathrawka 11y ago

No mention of Jelly Jelly Cafe? http://jellyjellycafe.com http://jellyjellycafe.com

mrkirkland 11y ago
They didn't reply (or their contact form is broken!)

greggman 11y ago

Four more The Terminal - Harajuku (where I'm posting this from ;) http://theterminal.jp/about.html http://theterminal.jp/about.html ii Office - Ueno https://iioffice.liginc.co.jp/ https://iioffice.liginc.co.jp/ Jelly Jelly Cafe - Shibuya http://jellyjellycafe.com/ http://jellyjellycafe.com/ Open Source Cafe - Shimokitazawa http://www.osscafe.net/en/ http://www.osscafe.net/en/ The Terminal is around ~$13 a day if you pay ~$20 for a year membership. Includes free soft drinks. Yea, just $20. Or you can get a monthly pass for ~$160 II Office is around ~$10 a day also including free soft drinks Jelly Jelly is really tiny and the one time I went it was 100% full so I haven't actually used it. Open Source Cafe is also pretty tiny. It's 2 small rooms, both hold maybe 7 people though I've seen them cram in 15+ for a meeting. I've been to a few on the list co-ba I signed up for a year ago. Plus, if you become a member they give you a security card and it's open 24 hours. Minus, it's pretty minimal, especially the 2nd floor. Feels like I sitting in an elementary school class. kokemasaz feels like someone decorated their garage. Nice DIY vibe. The guy making Voxatron (http://voxatron.com http://voxatron.com) who goes by Zeb online says he sometimes hangs out there. I guess I should mention he runs the picopico cafe (http://picopicocafe.com http://picopicocafe.com) in Kichijoji. It's only open 3pm to 10pm Saturday and Sunday and even then only if they haven't rented the place out (check their calendar) but, possibly because he's an indie game dev a lot of other mostly non Japanese indie game devs hang out there. What kind of shocks me is how much more expensive co-working spaces are in SF and LA. They claim you'll get networking but they're usually > $500 a month for just an unassigned seat at an open table.

mrkirkland 11y ago
I emailed the terminal, but it bounced! Also emailed opensource cafe, but no reply. We do mention them on a previous article though. Jellyjelly either their contact form is broken or they didn't want to respond. (all messages were sent in Japanese) I'll see if I can get in touch with iioffice...
shawnps 11y ago
Do you know if it's pretty competitive to get the monthly membership at The Terminal? Only the first 10 people who sign up can get it right? ("毎月先着10名様となります。")

sgdesign 11y ago

Nice tips. In Osaka there's Knowledge Salon in Umeda, but you need to know somebody there that can invite you as a guest, so it's not really drop-in… Oh, and you should also post this over at http://www.startjapan.org/ http://www.startjapan.org/ :)

GreaterFool 11y ago

Anyone knows one with standing desk?

mrkirkland 11y ago
I know a few cafes with wifi and standing/able desks Streamer Coffee Shibuya -> http://streamercoffee.com/shibuya http://streamercoffee.com/shibuya Lattest Omotesando -> http://tokyocheapo.com/place/lattest-omotesando/ http://tokyocheapo.com/place/lattest-omotesando/
- GreaterFool 11y ago
  Thanks. They look great. What I need to find though is a proper co-working space / shared office. While I love hanging out in coffee shops I need a place where I can reserve a desk ;-) There's a lot of variety in Tokyo so I should be able to find something.

jason_tko 11y ago

There is also a pretty comprehensive list of co-working spaces (all in Japanese though) here: https://www.makeleaps.jp/%E9%83%BD%E5%86%85%E3%81%99%E3%81%B9%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E4%B8%80%E8%A6%A7/ https://www.makeleaps.jp/%E9%83%BD%E5%86%85%E3%81%99%E3%81%B... Also if you're in Tokyo, don't forget to check out the Hacker News Tokyo community meetup events. The next one is on the 13th of May. Hope to see you there ! https://hntokyo.doorkeeper.jp/events/24116 https://hntokyo.doorkeeper.jp/events/24116

robzyb 11y ago
Thanks, just signed up!

saryant 11y ago

This is great! I go to Japan about once a year and for 2016 I'm thinking about spending a month or two working remote from Tokyo. I recently got back from doing the same at a coworking space in Thailand.

hudibras 11y ago

It's good to see all the Japan-based HNers goofing off at work today. HN usually starts dying this time of day (1445 JST) as the West Coast heads to bed...

jordwest 11y ago

This list is missing Open Source Cafe, where I'm sitting right now! I'll be here for another few weeks if anybody is interested in dropping by. http://www.osscafe.net/en/ http://www.osscafe.net/en/ It's in Shimokitazawa, really cool neighbourhood not far from Shibuya.

intruder 11y ago
+1 to this. OSC is great. Really adore the place and their activities.

rhia 11y ago

Interesting to see how Tokyo work culture impacts the co-working scene: A lot of them only open at 10 but stay open late in the evening. This is because, due to its size and property prices, many people commute up to 2 hours one way.

nandemo 11y ago
I don't follow. I know many salarypeople who have 1.5h+ commutes, because as you say central Tokyo is expensive. But if you're self-employed or doing a startup, why would you travel that far to a co-working space instead of just working from home?

kimar 11y ago

Nice job Mr Kirkland. When can we expect Cheapo guides for other cities?

dk__ 11y ago

Places I haven't tried! All your base are belong to us! Coworking spaces are pretty hit or miss. There's also Academy Hills (http://www.academyhills.com http://www.academyhills.com) on the 49th floor of Mori Tower in Roppongi that runs you 10,000yen/mo. Other options: Jiyugaoka — Robek's Juice — no WIFI, but spacious and has lots of power. Near Jiyugaoka — Radio Plant Cafe — free wifi, but quite small.

akassover 11y ago

Anybody found any good spots to work from in Machida? I'm out that way and have a hard time making the 1 hour trip to go into Toyko to work.

chunkiestbacon 11y ago

Cool, been looking for one. thanks! I've also considered working from internet cafes, but if a coworking space is cheaper, it would make sense to go to one.

radikalus 11y ago

I'll be back in Tokyo May 1-3ish -- psyched to check out Nakame lounge; that's new to me. Fuglen and Maruyama are my two go-to places though neither are great for "working" Streamer/Lattest I would say are not really appropriate for 'working' either. Sure, I've sat in them for an hour or two on occasion, but it doesn't feel exactly appropriate. I'm in and out of TKO a lot. (Live in Shanghai) Will happily trades beers and coffees for tips on good cafes. ^^ Interesting that people mention Shanghai as having a good cafe scene; I like a few of the places here okay but I'd never choose them over a bunch of the better options in tko or the US...