Going to a place you know nothing about can offer an exciting sense of mystery. The same is true for Japan’s maid cafes, which often pique interest from foreign tourists. What kind of place is a maid ...

For most of their patrons, a visit to one of Japan’s maid cafes comes after a tough day at the office, or maybe as a special reward at the end of a busy week. But if enjoying the cafes’ light fare and ...

“Welcome home, Master,” says the maid as she bows deeply, hands clasped in front of a starched pinafore worn over a short pink dress. This maid serves not some aristocrat but a string of ...

Maid cafes have become so embedded in Japan that it is hard to imagine a Tokyo without them. There are now more than 200 maid cafes in Japan, but the good news is that increased competition is making ...

For three days between October 7 and 9, in a quiet side street in Akihabara, Tokyo, the rental cafe Cafe Triomphe was the scene for a world-first event, a temporary maid cafe unlike any other. In a ...

A rather pathetic and greasy looking goofus with downcast, shame-filled eyes explains the exciting world of the Akihabara maid cafe scene. It's filled with priceless, completely unfathomable quotes: ...

It was threatening to rain this morning, but Akihabara, Japan's electronics district and gamers' Mecca, was buzzing with activity. It's a holiday weekend, so the streets were packed. Coming out of the ...