Japan’s maid cafes go from ‘geek’ hangout to tourist draw
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At-Home Cafe, one of the leading chains, says women now make up 57 per cent of the customers registered on its app.
PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO – “Master, mistress – welcome home!” exclaims the smiling young woman in a French maid’s costume, as customers pass through the looking glass into a unique Japanese world with oodles of quirkiness, cuteness and cake.
These “maid cafes” – inspired by the traditional maid outfit that has long been a motif in Japanese pop culture – have evolved from niche subculture hangouts 20 years ago into a mainstream attraction for people of all ages and genders.