Japanese House Culture: experience the owner of the Japanese "maid coffee shop" Welcome home

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Maid Coffee is unique.

In Akihabara, Japan, you will from time to time meet girls who hand out "maid cafe" leaflets to passers-by. For this kind of cafe, the author wanted to go to this kind of cafe for a long time, but he was blocked by his friends every time. "Animation enthusiasts and 'perverts' only go there, what are you doing alone?" Not long ago, I finally went to a "maid coffee" and found that it was not as scourge as people thought.

Four of us (three men and one woman) came to Akihabara one afternoon. as soon as we got out of the subway station, we saw two girls dressed as maids handing out advertisements to pedestrians. Wearing black miniskirts and white lace hairpins, they smiled sweetly at passers-by.

Following the map marked on the advertisement, we turned around and found the cafe. As soon as we entered the door, we heard a gentle greeting: "you are back, my master." Two girls led us into the hall with smiles on their faces. The hall looks no different from an ordinary coffee shop, with seven or eight guests. There is also a young girl around the corner who is reading leisurely while drinking coffee. There is no legendary "bad" atmosphere in the whole store. Coffee is not expensive either. a set meal and coffee comes to 1000 yen.

There are four lovely "maids" in the shop. Every time they serve refreshments and coffee, they use soft honorific and 45-degree bows. I couldn't help asking a "maid", "how many bows do you have to bow a day?" She smiled appropriately and said she didn't count, and then bowed again. When she saw my companion take out her camera, she immediately bowed 90 degrees and whispered, "We can't take pictures of maids and guests here, others can be taken, but please tell us in advance." Even the refusal was so tactful that we had to put away the camera.

Mr. Huang, who works with him, has a good understanding of Japanese animation culture. He said that the "maid coffee" sprang up in Akihabara because it was the stronghold of "otaku". "otaku" is a general term for those who are infatuated with animation and video games, many of whom are immersed in the electronic world because of poor interpersonal relationships. As a result, some cafes came up with the idea of letting girls imitate anime characters and serve customers like servants.

This kind of coffee shop first appeared in 2001, and now Akiba has more than 30 "maid cafes". The customers are not only "otaku", but also admiring tourists.

Maid Coffee has its own unique service, such as massaging guests, chatting with guests, playing cards or playing games, but they all charge extra. There is a store that provides kneeling service, allowing the "maid" to kneel down to add milk and sugar to the guests' coffee. There is also a store where "maids" feed customers. What's more, there is a store that provides cosmetic services to customers after meals, such as removing earwax.

Now, the way of attracting customers by "maids" has been extended to bars, beauty parlors, massage parlors, and even glasses shops.

"Butler Black Tea" has become a new favorite.

Akihabara has not only a "maid coffee shop", but also a "butler black tea" that attracts female customers. Young male waiters provide considerate service to female customers, making them feel like "aristocratic daughters".

As soon as the guests enter the door, the butler in a tuxedo will welcome him at the door. "you're back, miss." They brought tea and water to the guests and chatted happily with them. As soon as the guest rings the bell on the table, he will appear immediately. The service time is limited to 80 minutes, and when the time is up, the butler will remind the guest, "Miss, it's time to ride." Hint that it's time for the guests to go home.

The shop assistants are all young men in their twenties and thirties, and they have higher requirements for height and appearance when selecting. Before opening a shop, the clerk has to go through two months of hotel management and black tea knowledge training. You should not only be familiar with more than 40 kinds of black tea, but also learn to use words and salute like a professional butler.

If a female customer offers to associate with the clerk, the clerk will refuse on the grounds that "the status difference is too big".