Can I plug my laptop in in Starbucks

Is it OK to plug my laptop into a power socket in a coffee shop like Starbucks or is this seen as unacceptable in Japan?

Generally speaking it is ok. See this related thread:

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+68334

cubehopper,

Unless the sockets are clearly provided for use by customers, no, it is not OK. Yes, you will see people furtively doing it occasionally, but it's on par with stealing toilet rolls from public toilets, and there was a girl who was actually arrested a while back for charging her phone in a fast-food place - and charged with stealing something like 5 yen's worth of electricity.

''charged with stealing something like 5 yen's worth of electricity''

Is charged meant as a pun there? Surely she wasn't charged with anything, that would be ridiculous. Maybe some busybody called the police and they warned her?

Anyway - why not just ask the staff at Starbucks if its ok?

Unless the sockets are clearly provided for use by customers, no, it is not OK.

This question always draws heated debate. Regardless, what you will find, especially at coffee shops like starbucks, is that there are outlets clearly provided for customers (they are at each seat along a counter, openly accessible near tables, etc.). Obviously, if you are unsure, the sockets are covered/in use, there are signs prohibiting their use, etc. then don't use the outlets.

and there was a girl who was actually arrested a while back for charging her phone in a fast-food place - and charged with stealing something like 5 yen's worth of electricity.

Wow, what an incredible waste of the police's time and resources. There's gotta be more to this story like she was disrupting other customers or refused to leave or something. Sounds similar to the incident in the US of the girl arrested for assault after cutting in line at Walmart.