So many things to do in Japan, I couldn’t be more serious. Let me zoom into something special, popular, and peculiar. The Maid Cafes. These are located in many locations but I would gamble to say the work primarily in Akihabara. This will be a short one but worth a mention.

You have just woke up or its later in the day with some free time. You want to tackle some shopping and really like anime, so you take off to Akihabara. You exit the station and follow “Electric City” signage. You hit the road and see the billboards of you favorite anime.

You are here.

The street is littered with people and “agents”. Agents? Yes, agents. People that are hired to handout invitation to visit a place, a cafe… They might be simple Japanese folk or….maids. So it begins. You are pestered by these Japanese girls dressed like maids to visit one of the MANY cafes they host. Well, I had to do one of these before I left.

Me and some friends took an offering and was escorted to a hole in the wall location. Spooky. It felt like a movie when you get robbed or something worse. With smiling faces and cute Japanese voices, we proceeded.

It was a cafe, of sorts, and had actual customers. The place seemed run down but could have been anything any other time of the week. Whatever. We got a seat and chilled.

There was a few points I’d like to cover during the experience.

— You need money. You need a lotta money.

— It’s a quick event and you’re back on the street…

— The food was delicious, maybe exaggerated store food but hey.

— The packagers and souvenirs are pretty insane, expensive.

— Dress up was possible and encouraged, free… actually a free thing.

I would do it again but it would be an event, not a daily ritual if I lived there.