Maid Cafe (Part 2)

By: Brian Mah


Another notable cafe is Pinafore. These ladies always have a smile on their face. They have two cafes. One cafe is near the Akihabara Yodobashi Camera. The maids are very friendly and they serve the best cup of coffee (500 Yen). The bartender, Suzu, can make a tasty parfait. Her pigtails add more to her cuteness. Pinafore was also in the movie, "Train Man", starring Takayuki Yamada and Miki Nakatani

If you want to bring your camera and take pictures of these nice ladies, you are forbidden to do so. Wakana, an experienced maid at Pinafore explains when the cafes first started there were some not so nice folks who took pictures of these talented ladies in pink. She said some of the ladies were displayed on tobacco products without the consent of the maid or her cafe.

In addition to the various maid cafes, there are an increasing number of butler cafes. These cafes are more for a female clientele. The butlers are girls dressed up as a male servant. It is similar to the Tarazuka Revue, but on a smaller, more intimate scale. The most well-known butler cafe is Swallowtail, which is located in Ikebukuro. Another butler cafe is Checkmate.

Detailed listings of the various cafes are located on the Akibanana web site. It gives a detailed listing of what each cafe specializes in, the cafes range from the basic maid cafe to a clinic-style cafe where you get a head massage. If you are wondering what the name of the massage place, that massage place is called Reflangel. Tabi, Simona, KｲKｲ, and Gina are the web-mistresses who maintain the website.

So, if you are tired from shopping at all of the anime stores in Akihabara, make sure you stop by at one of these cafes. By the way, the cafes can take a picture of you and the waitress of your choice. Who in turn will decorate the photo for you. These gracious waitresses are here to make sure your stay in Akihabara is a memorable one.

Maid Cafe (Part 1)

By: Brian Mah

You see them walking around Akihabara. Cute girls wearing big frilly Goth-Loli dresses or maid costumes. They hand out flyers along Chuo Street along Akihabara's "Electric Town" with a smile saying, "Onegaishimasu" (please). These are not full sized Victorian dolls, but rather the hard working ladies behind the maid cafe.

The concept of the maid cafe started in 2001. The first owners of the maid cafes found a niche market with the weary anime and manga fans that had no place to call their own. The girls at the various cafes provide companionship, a lively chat, or maybe a place to play some cards with the socially impaired men who walk around the vast streets and side streets of Akihabara.


The most popular is the cafe @Home. This cafe is always busy, even on weekdays. When arriving to @Home on the weekends, long waits are expected. As the customer gets seated, one of the brown and pink maids will seat you. One of the maids, Nicole, is happy to explain the menu to you. The English speaking maid is normally on duty from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm. Customers can play a game or have their photo taken for an additional charge of 500 Yen ($5). When the food comes, the maid plays a game with them called "Moe, Moe, Moe." Moe means to love something deeply, usually an inanimate object. After the patron is done eating, the maids gives them a point card. The cards are determined by the customer's level of "Otaku-ness." The cards range from the following levels: Bronze (Lv. 1 My Master), Silver (Familiar Master), Gold (Eminent Master), Crystal (Glorious Master), Platinum (The Paragon of Master Excellence), and Black ("The Legend").