No boys allowed! Take a look inside Japan’s first cafe for female otaku ONLY

A new cafe for female otaku in Osaka says neither boys nor normies are allowed. Naturally, we had to check it out for ourselves!

In the Nipponbashi area of Osaka, a place known to otaku as the Akihabara of Kansai, a new hang-out spot has opened up where female otaku can chill out and indulge their nerdy side—with no men allowed. Ataraxia Cafe opened on December 26 2015 and our reporter went to check it out.

Women in Japan can often feel a little shy about whipping out their doujinshi or cosplay magazines in public, so this establishment has been designed as a space where they don’t have to feel self-conscious about enjoying a hobby that is sometimes looked down upon or considered the pursuit of young men. Now anime-loving ladies can go shopping for the latest manga or doujin from their favourite circle then drop by the cafe to read it right away in a place where no one will judge them for it.

There are reasonably priced snacks and desserts on offer as well as an all-you-can-drink soft drink plan for just 1,580 yen (US $13), so you can easily spend the whole day there!

The addition of a workspace for creative types sets the cafe apart from your average manga-kissa (manga cafe). It’s a spacious area with four large work tables where you can draw manga, sew cosplay costumes, or work on other creative pursuits. It’s particularly good for those people living in tiny Japanese apartments whose floor space might equal the size of one of these tables.

Mannequins and busts are provided for styling wigs and fitting cosplay outfits.

Ataraxia Cafe is designed to be a home away from home for otaku women. Of course the staff are also all women, so it’s a safe environment free from the aggressiveness that can sometimes creep into male-dominated otaku spaces (I’m looking at you, Comiket day 3). You can read quietly or chat it up with your friends, and any lady with a nerdy side is always welcome. See below for info on how to find this otaku oasis.

Cafe information:
Name: Ataraxia cafe (アタラキシアカフェ)
Address: 大阪府大阪市浪速区日本橋3-8-25 光ムセンたまらんどビル3階
Hikari Musen Tamaland Building 3rd Floor
3-8-25 Nipponbashi, Naniwa-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu, 556-0005
Opening hours: 11:00 to 00:00
Website

▼ Here’s the building the cafe is located in.

▼ Look out for the cafe’s sign on the street.

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