6 ms·

Yeah, according to the cafe's website, they don't physically stop you from leaving. In fact, one of the FAQs specifically says that you can leave temporarily if

Yeah, according to the cafe's website, they don't physically stop you from leaving. In fact, one of the FAQs specifically says that you can leave temporarily if you need to. It's just that they won't allow you to pay your tab unless you've reached your goal. As others have said, it's about the social pressure. I doubt the question of "can we legally enforce this rule" was a major concern.

Cthulhu_ 5y ago
I do think it's undervalued how a bit of social pressure can really help you be more productive. I mean I'm sitting at home typing a comment on HN, because there's no colleagues or employers that can peek at what I'm doing. My work productivity has really taken a dive thanks to WFH.
- pikma 5y ago
  I totally agree, and I've observed how my productivity has gone up dramatically now that I'm back to the office. It's fairly empty, so it's not like there is actually many people watching over my shoulder, but somehow while I'm at my desk there I feel very little desire to do anything other than work.
- AlwaysRock 5y ago
  Sure. I'm much more comfortable at home and in the long run get more done because I'm likely to actually stay at a company for a longer period of time... But there is nothing like being in an office and feelings like you have to be locked in for productivity. I can simulate a lot of that with pairing though.
thanatos519 5y ago
They are lucky that Douglas Adams will never visit.
Wowfunhappy 5y ago
Wait, so the punishment for not finishing is that... you don't have to pay?
- sangnoir 5y ago
  They leave the tab open, and possibly even leave the meter running[1] while you'e on a "break" - so you may end up paying for the time you were not in the cafe. 1. TFA doesn't say one way or the other, but the fact that they don't accept cash leaves the possibility open
  - davidjytang 5y ago
    Their website indicates that the meteor is indeed left running.
- unixhero 5y ago
  This works in Japanese society.
- robbedpeter 5y ago
  Japanese culture is weird to a westerner in some ways. Their people are just as shitty and willing as any other humans to exploit for personal gain, but it's never admitted or discussed in "polite" company. If someone ripped them off like this, they'd be reported to police for whatever the dine&dash offense is, but everyone would pretend that it never happened. There's something desperately aspirational about certain parts of their culture.
  - MathYouF 5y ago
    For anyone else reading, this does not seem like a qualified or legitimate take on Japanese life from my experience of a year of actually living in Tokyo. Maybe the OP has had equal personal experience and just percieved it differently, but there's almost no chance a Japanese person in Tokyo would dine and dash, and being raised in their culture from birth absolutely does make one less inclined to do things like that. Post-modernist views that all cultures make people who are equally bad and good and that it has little effect simply don't hold up to even a cursory analysis of available statistics on the regional rates of crime/violence/exploitation worldwide.
    - 5y ago

Cthulhu_ 5y ago

I do think it's undervalued how a bit of social pressure can really help you be more productive. I mean I'm sitting at home typing a comment on HN, because there's no colleagues or employers that can peek at what I'm doing. My work productivity has really taken a dive thanks to WFH.

pikma 5y ago
I totally agree, and I've observed how my productivity has gone up dramatically now that I'm back to the office. It's fairly empty, so it's not like there is actually many people watching over my shoulder, but somehow while I'm at my desk there I feel very little desire to do anything other than work.
AlwaysRock 5y ago
Sure. I'm much more comfortable at home and in the long run get more done because I'm likely to actually stay at a company for a longer period of time... But there is nothing like being in an office and feelings like you have to be locked in for productivity. I can simulate a lot of that with pairing though.

thanatos519 5y ago

They are lucky that Douglas Adams will never visit.

Wowfunhappy 5y ago

Wait, so the punishment for not finishing is that... you don't have to pay?

sangnoir 5y ago
They leave the tab open, and possibly even leave the meter running[1] while you'e on a "break" - so you may end up paying for the time you were not in the cafe. 1. TFA doesn't say one way or the other, but the fact that they don't accept cash leaves the possibility open
- davidjytang 5y ago
  Their website indicates that the meteor is indeed left running.
unixhero 5y ago
This works in Japanese society.
robbedpeter 5y ago
Japanese culture is weird to a westerner in some ways. Their people are just as shitty and willing as any other humans to exploit for personal gain, but it's never admitted or discussed in "polite" company. If someone ripped them off like this, they'd be reported to police for whatever the dine&dash offense is, but everyone would pretend that it never happened. There's something desperately aspirational about certain parts of their culture.
- MathYouF 5y ago
  For anyone else reading, this does not seem like a qualified or legitimate take on Japanese life from my experience of a year of actually living in Tokyo. Maybe the OP has had equal personal experience and just percieved it differently, but there's almost no chance a Japanese person in Tokyo would dine and dash, and being raised in their culture from birth absolutely does make one less inclined to do things like that. Post-modernist views that all cultures make people who are equally bad and good and that it has little effect simply don't hold up to even a cursory analysis of available statistics on the regional rates of crime/violence/exploitation worldwide.
  - 5y ago