Maid Cafe in Akihabara

Activity > Tokyo > Culture > Akihabara

There is a culture of exemplary service in Japan that is reflected in even the smallest inns all over the country. There is also a culture of kawaii or cuteness that is quite the norm among the younger population, especially among the females. Males are quite attracted to the innocent cuteness that is popular in Japanese manga and anime and cosplays have seen a large rise in the number of participants in the recent years. The maid cafes first opened in Akibahara, Japan to attract male otaku or fans of anime. These cafes serve traditional cafe fare such as cakes, coffee, and tea but with a little something extra – all these will be served, possibly even hand-decorated with impossibly cute designs by your very own real-life maid.

This is an otaku's dream come to life and, I must admit, one of the main reasons I found myself strolling down the streets of Akihabara one lazy summer vacation in Japan.

Japanese women have long been into the business of entertaining guests without the perversions that are so common all over the Western world. Even the Japanese geisha has received much flak due to the misconceptions surrounding the art of entertaining that these women have invested most of their childhood in rigorous training to render a level of entertainment and service that is above par.

And no, they do not offer those kinds of services best reserved for back alleys and dingy motels.

The maid cafe, I realized, was no different. Before I stepped into the blindingly cute establishment, I was made aware of a list of rules that among other things, forbade me from touching the maids or taking their pictures. Patrons were also prohibited from asking for the personal contacts of maids and following them around the establishment, which is quite creepy, if you ask me.

I was greeted by a pretty young girl in the costume of a French maid, complete with a frilly light pink dress, a white, ruffled pinafore, petticoats, and a cap. She greeted me with a cute smile, her eyes disappearing, as she gaily told me "Okaerinasaimase, goshujinsama", which translated to "Welcome home, master!"

That is also the thing about maid cafes – for the limited time you stay in the cafe, you are not treated as a guest but as the master of the maid assigned to you.

I later learned the maid was called Kyoko-chan. If that was her name while she was in the cafe, I had no idea, but it sounded rather cute and what I imagined a bouncy, kawaii maid would be named.

After taking note of my orders, Kyoko-chan literally skipped away from the table. It seemed that they not only had to look the part of the maids in anime but they had to act the part, as well.

Kyoko-chan came back in record time with my coffee and a small cake in the shape of a bear, which she decorated with some chocolate syrup before serving it to me. She looked at me hopefully, her dark brown eyes so adorable as she watched me chew around the cake. When I proclaimed it to be delicious, she smiled widely and clapped her hands.

Since I was running late to meet with some of my friends, I opted out of the games that were offered in this particular cafe. From what I understood, patrons can play card or video games with their particular maid for an additional fee.

However, because the experience was quite new and unusual back home, I decided to have a photo taken with Kyoko-chan, which she, of course, decorated with a bit of glitter and cute designs before handing it over to me.

I thanked her for the token and she smiled again as she cheerily waved goodbye at the door. I stuck the photo in my wallet and grinned. The Japanese have a way of providing their customers with exceptional personal service without the lascivious entanglements that is commonly associated back home.

That, in itself, is quite a marvel.