Located in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku neighbourhood, Tomodachi ga Yatteru Cafe loosely translates loosely as ‘cafe run by your friend’.
Members of staff include actors and models who are paid to engage customers with the same relaxed and friendly style usually reserved for close friends. The approach is particularly relevant in Japan, where staff in customer facing roles usually speak in a highly formal and respectful manner to customers. The use of honorific speech (or ‘keigo’) in Japan creates a very formal atmosphere that makes it difficult to converse with staff in a relaxed way.
By taking a more relaxed approach to customer service, the café is aiming to combat Japan’s loneliness epidemic, which is reaching critical proportions. Suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20–44 and social isolation is a growing problem.
The whole experience is designed to break down traditional formal barriers in Japanese social customs, with one of the drinks on the menu named ‘itsumo nonderu yatsu’, or ‘what you always drink’.
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