Coffee shops help mothers soothe crying babies at night in Japan

In Memuro town, Hokkaido, a French bakery cafe is open for free from 9pm on Sunday to 6am the next morning to welcome mothers with fussy children. Shop owner Madoka Nozawa, 28, named this space Oyako no Koya (House of Parents and Children). She and other volunteers support night care and listen to mothers’ concerns.

The service will be deployed by the store from the end of October 2025. The idea originated from Nozawa’s personal experience when she had to hold her baby and cry all night alone so her husband could sleep so he could go to work.

“I wanted to create a shelter, so mothers don’t feel alone,” said shop owner Nozawa.

The store provides mats for babies to crawl on, sleeping areas, and separate spaces for diaper changes and breastfeeding. A 34-year-old mother on maternity leave said this service helps her have someone to talk to and relieve psychological pressure.

This idea is reminiscent of the online comic series Yonakigoya (House of Night Crying), posted on Japanese social networks since 2023. In the story, a cafe that only opens at night becomes a refuge for mothers exhausted from taking care of their children. Many readers said they would feel much more relieved if there was such a space in real life.

The author of the series, who is also a mother, first shared the idea on social networks in 2017. The article quickly attracted attention and was later developed into a series. She said that up to now she still receives many sympathetic responses, showing that the feeling of isolation during the process of raising children in Japan has hardly changed.

Similar models of cafes in Hokkaido also appear in many other places. In Tokushima Prefecture, a child care support group operates two cafes. During monthly activities, childcare staff will temporarily look after the children so the mothers can rest. The group’s representative hopes this place can become a support for families.

In Niigata, a group of women working on community development has maintained a similar model once a week since July last year.

However, maintaining the night child care cafe model is still a challenge. Most facilities are operating on donations from individuals, businesses and volunteer support. Operating costs and staff pressure from working overnight are significant barriers.

Kaori Ichikawa, a professor at Tokyo University of Information Sciences who specializes in postpartum care, said more support is needed for these models to continue.

“Support from the government is often limited at night, weekends or holidays. The public and private sectors need to coordinate to create places like cafes for children who cry at night, where people can seek support whenever needed,” Ms. Ichikawa said.