Some people have been quick to agree that handshakes are inessential. Other cultures don’t greet each other by touching the way Americans do. But it’s a very poorly informed view to assume that touch is not still important to people in those cultures. In Japan, it’s typical to greet your friends with a bow or waving hands, but there are also “cuddle cafes” where people can go to be hugged and held. According to Japan Info , those cafes "are a way of releasing stress and anxiety by getting a warm hug at the end of the day and is a service quite popular between office workers in Japan that feel the need to be comforted.” People who lack touch in any culture crave it. The Tokyo Weekender noted that , at elder homes, "with no or little human touch, fluffy robot seals and the like have been introduced at some facilities to stave off cravings for human touch.”