Maid cafés

A unique phenomenon capitalising on the fantasies of otaku (fans of anime, manga and video games) and J-Pop fans.

Akihabara district in Tokyo is home to the maid cafés and, as more and more pop up and competition increases, each one is getting wackier and more surreal. The patrons are usually male otaku (geeks) who go to be served by waitresses who dress and act as if they are super cute characters from manga comics, anime or video games. In the original maid cafés the staff would be dressed as French maids but as the phenomenon has grown various themes and costumes have emerged. The maids greet customers with "Welcome home, master" and decorate the food and drinks with playful designs and messages.

At some cafés the maids even provide massages (all above board) or play card and computer games with the customers. Although they were originally set up for male otaku they are becoming very popular amongst women and tourists.