For anybody in Shiga prefecture looking for cafes with WiFi and power outlets! Here are four reasons you should consider imaplus.
Have you ever experienced this? You want to get some work done while out and about, but you find that your computer has no battery left and there’s no WiFi to connect to!
It’s not like the big city out here in Shiga, where even if you find WiFi at a convenience store, you’re usually out of luck when it comes to a power outlet.
So for those of you who have experienced the above situations, I’ve gone ahead and written some reasons why I recommend the imaplus located just outside Kosei Station (in Konan city, three stations away from Kusatsu Station) to anybody looking for a convenient working spot that has both WiFi and power outlets.
Let’s get straight into it.
When people in Shiga prefecture are looking for a spot with both WiFi and a power outlet, what does that situation usually look like?
I reckon we can generally split this situation into two categories:
・You’ve gone out and have some spare time which you’d like to use to get some work done.
・You want to find a place with WiFi and a power outlet other than the place you usually use for work.
For those living in Otsu city, it’s hard to recommend imaplus if you are in the first category, but for anybody in the second category, I definitely recommend it.
I recommend it in that case because imaplus has WiFi, power outlets, and even free drinks, and you also don’t have to worry about how you look there compared to if you were in a restaurant at lunchtime.
1. The venue has been designed to allow you to concentrate on making progress on your work or studies.
While the concept is still gaining its foothold in Shiga prefecture, environments like the one imaplus offers are called “coworking spaces.”
While that does mean that imaplus is largely a space which encourages both work and intermingling, there are also quiet zones where guests are free to simply work or study.
There are also various seating arrangements available, including one-person sofa spots as well as desk spaces, making it possible to switch it up at any time for a change of pace.
Most of all, the all-you-can-use office products and printers make a big difference in usability compared to trying to get work done at a dining establishment.
2. Need to get lunch? Don’t worry! imaplus features a lunch period where various people cook up and serve food.
imaplus has a kitchen where people can work the lunch shift as a “one day chef.”
It’s totally your call whether or not to eat the lunch, which is abundant in variety and offered every weekday at a very reasonable price (starting at roughly ¥600).
Eating lunch at imaplus feels sort of like eating at your company building.
So you concentrate on work until lunch is ready. Then you eat up! And then you rest a little while before getting back to work! That’s the kind of efficient use of time that’s made possible at imaplus.
3. It’s cheap! From ¥200 for 30 minutes to ¥1200 for the entire day, plus free drinks!
Anybody looking to try it out can go for a 30 minute session without having to register.
Now, to explain the fee structure.
One hour tends to be the sweet spot for many of us who want to get a little work done while out and about. imaplus charges only ¥300 for such one hour sessions, making it a no-brainer.
4. For anybody looking to use the space more than once a week, the ¥5000 all-you-can-use monthly charge can’t be beat!
You need to get some work done out of the house, so you end up going to Starbucks, or to McDonald’s. Then you have to order something on the menu, so you end up spending around ¥700 per session. Do this two or three times a week and you’re easily talking ¥10,000 per month. (Not to mention long sessions where you end up ordering more. Then you could be talking ¥20,000 for the month.)
imaplus has monthly membership plans. The ¥5,000 basic plan allows you to use the space as much as you want within these hours: weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
You can also upgrade to the full plan which lets you use the space on any day of the week from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Either way, it’s a great deal.
There are no limits to your use of the space, so you can come at any time!
This way, you’ll never be wondering how much the bill is going to be after each session.