Maid in Heaven

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, geeks can be found roaming all over Tokyo’s Akihabara district. It’s their own shopping mecca for games, electronics, comics … and even cute girls. (^-^*)

Welcome to maid café central where one can enjoy a cup of tea in the company of a chick in a frilly black dress. If you want, she’ll challenge you to a game of checkers or lend an ear to your weary soul. In the guise of your typical coffee shop, maid cafes can be found in every nook of Akihabara. Taking shape around four years ago, on the eve of Akiba-kei mania, cafes have become a refuge for anyone in need of a little tender loving care.

Now I know what you’re thinking, so please get your mind out of the gutter! Service-oriented as these businesses are, they are not meant to be brothels for the sexually flustered. Most cafes state explicitly in their rules that customers are not to touch or fondle the maids in any way. Yes, please keep your hands out of the cookie jar. Thank you.

Of course, throw in a little more money and you can get into a makeshift studio with some of the maids to take their picture. They’ll primp themselves and flash peace signs if you so desire … fully-clothed, of course. Over the past few years, cafes have evolved into other services like beauty salons and massage parlors. There are places which will allow guests to lay side by side in a bed with a maid of your choice. Though once again, no funny business allowed.

So what’s this phenomenon say about modern Japanese society? No one can really say for sure. Not long after the legend of the Densha Otoko spread through Japan – he and his friends were known to be loyal patrons – maid cafes started filling up not only with geeky young men but curious women as well. So maybe novelty is key.

Next time I’m in Tokyo I’m definitely planning to stop by Akihabara to hang with the maids. I might not want a massage from them, but a couple of pictures would be fun. Just for bragging rights, you know? (ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━━━ !!!!!)

Himawari

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