A project that gives young people who stutter real-world work experience as waitstaff has taken root in parts of Japan, giving people with the speech impediment opportunities to build confidence through interaction with strangers.
The project, named "Cafes Where Orders Take Time," takes over existing cafes for a day at a time and hopes to promote a wider understanding of the condition while helping people who stutter achieve their life goals.
At a cafe in the city of Toyama in June, four young waiters worked while wearing face masks bearing printed messages such as "I want to talk with many people" and "Please let me finish speaking."