5 Cafes in Shibuya for remote work
“The internet does not just connect machines, it connects people.”
The other day, my friends and I tried to come up with places to study. If you live in Tokyo, you probably have the issue that working from home is not always as comfortable as it should be. Rooms are small here, resulting in a lack of space for a proper desk and/or a place to not be disturbed by your family/housemates/partner.
Tokyo has tons of cafes, coffeeshops, bubble tea joints, but it’s always a challenge to find a place where you can study/work. Sure you can quickly find a place to sit, open your laptop, pop out your pocket WIFI places to sit, but that is usually not as easy as it sounds.
What if you do not have pocket WIFI? What if your device is running low on juice? Besides finding the main requirements like WIFI, which most cafes here have, it is surprisingly difficult to find places where you can charge your devices, or sit longer than a set time! I managed to find some excellent spots in one of my favorite areas, Shibuya, which I would like to share with you to make that digital nomad/remote work life easier. Here’s my top 5!
1. eplus LIVING ROOM CAFE＆DINING
Found this gem recently after a friend recommended it to me. Living Room Cafe is a place where you can eat, chill, and enjoy music. It is definitely the most stylish option here so a great option to take your friends/dates to too. it is located right behind the famous 109 building in the heart of the city. They have tons of seats, but not all have electricity outlets, so make sure you ask if you need those.
Pros:
- Very stylish interior
- Great food/drinks
- Comfortable seats
- Location
- No seat charge
Cons:
- The only places with outlets are bar/counter seats, which is not always comfortable (the counter is quite high too)
- The outlets are upside down, so if your plug is a bit flimsy, it will fall out
- A bit pricier, but nothing too outrageous
- They have a (2 hour) time limit on seats when it gets busy (usually dinnertime)
Location:
〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Dogenzaka, 2−29−5 Shibuya Prime 5F
(The elevator is in front of the entrance of Uniqlo)
2. The Alley, LuJiaoXiang
Bubbletea places usually are take out only so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this place has quite a lot of space to sit and do your thing. it is a bit up the Dogenzaka Hill, making it less crowded that the usual places. It happens to be my favorite Tapioka milk tea, bubble tea, boba place (not sure what you guys call it where you are from) so I frequent the place more than I should be.
They have a co work space plan, but ignore that unless you need some more privacy for video calls. Just go sit upstairs and you can utilize their cool space for free. of course there is a one drink order policy to sit there, but that is common sense right?
Pros:
- Usually pretty empty
- Nice drinks for a good price
- No time limit
- No seat charge
Cons:
- Sweet smell of Bubble tea might turn some people off
- A bit of a walk from the station and that hill…
- More students/younger customers, increasing the chance of noise
- Counter seats not as comfortable as the benches.
Location:
〒150-0043 1-19-11 Dogenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo
3. Hotel Koe Lobby
Located near the Parco department store, hotel Koe offers some seats at their lobby café meant for co-working. It is a bit more of a lively place, so if you’re into these sorta places, make sure to give this place a visit.
Pros:
- Nice food/drinks
- No time limit
- No table charge
- Cool environment
Cons:
- Limited spaces with outlets (Window counter seats only)
- A bit noisy
- Crowded, not the best for coming in pairs/groups
- Simple menu for drinks
Location:
〒150-0042 3-7 Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 1F
4. Freeman Cafe
If you want close to the new Miyashita park, this might be a good place to go. They have a killer Key Lime Pie, which is usually my main reason to go and they have some seats to work at too.
Pros:
- Easily accessible
- Stable WIFI, even for Video calls (Although it might be too loud to speak)
- Great Cake
Cons:
- Always crowded, prepare to line up
- Staff is not very friendly
- 2 Hour seat limit
- Noisy
Location:
〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 1−16−14 Metro Plaza 2Ｆ
5. Starbucks
A usual suspect, but worth mentioning because they have tons of locations, most with wifi and electricity outlets. The thing is, you know what you are getting, so it is definitely the safe option. The location in the Tsutaya definitely has the coolest view, but is probably the worst one to work at. There are more locations, so definitely prioritize those over the nice view if you want to get some work done. I will share a location that is a bit more suitable.
I was hesitant to put this on the list because it is always crowded and quite the battle to find a seat. People put their stuff (no matter how expensive) on the table and then go get their drink. A strategy to secure a seat before getting a drink is definitely recommended.
Pros:
- A familiar place
- WIFI
- A lot of locations
- No Seat time limits
Cons:
- Crowded, almost impossible to get seats
- Wifi logs you out frequently
- Limited seats with outlets
- Got to have a Macbook to be able to sit (Just kidding! Just kidding!)
Location:
〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 3−11−7 dai２minegishi Building
