In Japan there are bars for crying

In Japan they are spreading Crying Café, bars where you can let off steam freely and cry, without repressing your own emotions.

The first one was born in Tokyo, in 2020, it's called Mori Ouchi (at the entrance there is a sign that says: "Only negative people enter here") and after its extraordinary success there has been a continuous succession of new openings Crying Café. In these places, the rui-katsu, which means literally “crying activities”: the idea is that to cry intentionally can reduce stress and improve emotional well-being. Crying is stimulated by films, videos, stories, which evoke strong emotions and there may also be people who accompany the visitors of the Crying Café along the path of tears.

Mori Ouchi is located in the bohemian neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, and the name can be translated as “house in the forest”: the internal atmosphere is designed to be welcoming, bright, with wooden furnishings, private cabins and quiet corners Where people can be alone or relax without feeling observed. Women may enter alone, but men must be accompanied to provide company during the emotional impact of crying. You can also bring your own food, but it's mandatory to have at least one drink (these are designed and prepared specifically for the Mori Ouchi atmosphere).

These places also stem from two typically Japanese needs. The first is related to the enormous stress that builds up in the workplace, where the pace and pressure are always extremely high. The second need is to find places to be together, escape the trap of loneliness, and share one's experiences with others. Even if it means crying. 

There are similar initiatives in Italy to those of the gods Crying café Japanese, though they are not as widespread as in Japanand often do not always take the form of a real bar where you cry. Rather, it is about events, meetings, emotional spaces and activities related to psychological well-being in which the expression of emotions is encouraged (even through crying).

In many Italian cities they are organized workshops, evenings, group meetings dedicated to the expression of emotions, where you can:

• watch touching movies together
• listen to emotional music
• share personal stories

Cover image source: Gambero Rosso

Read also: 

• Crying Rooms: How They Work
• Why crying is good for you
• How to Be Hospitable: The Japanese Lesson of Omotenashi