FEATURE: Japan's late-night "crying cafes" offer refuge for exhausted mothers

SAPPORO - A growing number of late-night cafes across Japan are opening their doors to mothers struggling with babies who will not stop crying, offering a rare refuge during the most isolating hours of parenting.

The idea of a "nighttime crying cafe," which appeared in an online comic nearly a decade ago, first resonated with readers and is now gaining real-world traction as spaces inspired by that vision are spreading under small, community-led initiatives.