Generally speaking, Japan is very good at not giving things away for free. They pull it off, AFAIK, by figuring out...
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I'm reminded of this principle because there's another type of business Japan has that America badly needs: Internet Cafes
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I am typing this thread from an actual cafe, my beloved Haymarket, but I didn't come here for coffee...I came for internet access!
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To make it worth their time, I make sure to always have a cup of tea or coffee here, and maybe a sandwich during my stay. But...
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...what I really came here for is *time online.* Internet cafes cater to *that* market specifically, charging per hour for internet access!
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By creating two types of business, new niches are opened up--for instance, it turns out internet cafes make useful overnight accommodations
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It would make no sense for a cafe to be open 24 hours, but a place that charges by the hour? Why not?
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And then in catering to the new needs of overnight customers, internet cafes diversify their own work, providing laundry, showers, breakfast
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It's wonderful to follow how one kind of work leads to another like this--watching an economy grow and diversify in real time
End of conversation
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