The Dawn of the Butler Café
In Tokyo, dressing up in costume went adult more than a decade ago. “Cosplay”, a combination of the English words “costume” and “play”, stands for a subculture centered on people who pose as characters from animé cartoons and TV shows, and Hollywood blockbusters like The Matrix, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, have only increased the popularity of the trend.
No longer reserved for parties, contests and blog pics, the Cosplay arena is growing by leaps and bounds. In Tokyo’s technologically-cutting-edge Akhibara district it’s gone edible. In September 2001, the first “maid café” opened its doors on one of the chummy neighborhood’s tree-lined streets. Thirty more have since opened since. At Little BSD, waitresses don new get-ups every single day. Both Royal Milk and Café and Kitchen capitalize on a cupcake-style domesticity. Hair salons feature stylists in maid getups giving shampoos and cuts. Cutie Relax provides massages by “maids” and at Holy-Land feet are rubbed, and manicures are delivered by “angels”.
The Cosplay doesn’t stop there. South Korea, China and Taiwan will soon open Maid and Butler cafés. And new target audiences have been identified: for female otakus there is Swallowtail—where waitresses dressed as butlers greet each guest, “Welcome Home Madame!”—and at Princess Heart maid waitresses seat (female-only) diners in thrones and “treat them like royalty”. Evidentially, there’s a king or queen inside us all!