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Maid Cafes in Japan: Their History and Evolution
A look at their history, how they’ve evolved, and what you should know before you go.
By Jay Andrew Allen
Go to Akihabara and you’ll see a maid cafe everywhere you look. But how did they get started? Here’s a look at the history of maid cafes, how they’ve changed over the years, and what to know before you go.
The history of maid cafes in Japan
Maid cafes (メイドカフェ or, if you’re feeling fancy, 冥土カフェ in Japanese) are also known as “maid kissa” (喫茶). Kissa came about during Japan’s Meiji and Taisho eras, when coffee drinking took off in the country.
Lion Cafe in Ginza pioneered the “maid cafe” style, which features female staff wearing Western-style maid outfits, in 1924 (Taisho 13). Along with Tiger, which experimented with a number of different styles, the shops became especially popular among heterosexual men.
The first chain to popularize the modern maid cafe is still up and running today. Cure Maid Cafe opened in March 2001in Akihabara. As its popularity expanded, other cafes, such as At Home, also sprung up.
