Thousands of homeless “net cafe refugees” in Japan risk being turfed out onto the streets as the coronavirus pandemic forces the sudden closure of their uniquely Japanese 24/7 comic book havens.

The ubiquitous all-night internet and “manga” comic cafes offer couches, computers, comics, soft drinks and shower facilities for an overnight stay typically priced around 2,000 yen ($18).

An estimated 4,000 people down on their luck make their home in such cafes in Tokyo alone, and activists worry that shutting them down could lead to suicides and a spike in rough sleepers.

Some local authorities are now opening shelters to accommodate “net cafe refugees” and keep them from sleeping out in the open.

One 58-year-old occasional construction-site worker told AFP his main aim was “avoiding getting wet”, as he found a roof over his head at a shelter converted from a martial arts center in Yokohama near Tokyo.