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Manga Reading Room Opens For New, Expecting Mothers

The English online edition of the Asahi Shimbun reports on Thursday that a special manga reading room that caters to new and expecting mothers and their babies opened in Tokyo's Nerima district in January. Men are not allowed in the room, so that women who patronize the place may breastfeed their children without embarrassment. Patrons must bring their own refreshments.

37-year-old Ayako Ueki came up with the idea for the new mother's manga room while she was on maternity leave from a temporary job. Ueki said she wanted to create a space where mothers could relax without worrying about having to leave because their child was crying. The mother of two noted that the service is limited to women with children who are not yet crawling due to safety reasons.

The 43-square-meter room has around 400 volumes of manga from series such as Tokimeki Tonight and Kimi ni Todoke on low bookshelves, and it has rugs and cushions on the floor.

Ueki had received government funding for the room in September.