THE SERVANT/MASTER FANTASY WHICH MAID CAFES CATER TO GET CARRIED ONE STEP FURTHER AT THE MAID REFLEXOLOGY CLINICS AND HAIR DRESSING SALONS WHICH ARE BEGINNING TO SPRING UP IN AKIHABARA. The deal is you basically get massaged by a girl dressed as a maid, or get your hair cut by a hairdresser dressed as a maid, or get chilled out by the scents of aromatherapy, depending on the type of place you are in. I have never personally been in any of these establishments, but I have seen plenty of signs on the street and been handed flyers. To the best of my knowledge, these are the maid reflexology clinics and hair dressing salons, and other associated places, in Akihabara:
Cutie Relax: 外神田１－１６－１０ニュー秋葉原センター2F.
(2nd Floor New Akihabara Center, 1-6-10 Soto Kanda.)
Phone: 03/5296 8030. Web: http://www.cutierelax.com.
Like the Melty Cure Cafe listed below, this place is actually a massage parlor -- the novelty is that the girls doing the massage are dressed as maids. Music and aromas are also used to induce a relaxing mood. A 20-minute "foot therapy" course will set you back ¥2500. There is a hand therapy course for the same cost and the same duration.
Open 12 noon to 10pm daily.
If you want to buy some paraphernalia from Cutie Relax, click here. At the moment I have some packets of tissues from the parlour with photos of maids on the cover -- it is selling for US$1 each.
Garden Fairy: 外神田１－６－１外神田ビル7F.
(7th floor Soto Kanda Building, 1-6-1 Soto Kanda.)
Phone: 03/3251 3988. Web: http://www.g-fairy.com.
One of the growing number of places in Akihabara which combine massage and reflexology with standard cafe food and drinks. A foot massage course costs ¥2000 for every 20 minutes of maid massage time, with hand and shoulder massages costing much the same.
Maid Hair Salon Moe-Sham: 外神田３－６－１７2F.
(2nd floor 3-6-17 Soto Kanda.)
Phone: 03/3252 8688. Web: http://www.moesham.com/index.html. Map: http://www.moesham.com/about/ img/map.gif.
Combine moe and shampoo and what do you get -- moesham! This maid hair salon is situated right next door to the San and Sun BuildingCacross the street from a small park. The salon bears the logo JDiana du CupidJCan example of the strange new marketing language being used in Japan these daysCJapanese]French. Akadot wrote: "How far will the Otaku Empire expand? Apparently not satisfied with its thriving maid cafe business, Akihabara has recently welcomed a maid beauty salon into its otaku community.
"The term moe has successfully integrated itself into the Japanese language in the recent years, and almost synonymous with this term is the image of the all-time otaku favorite "maid" figure. Capitalizing on this ever popular figure, Akihabara developed the now thriving maid cafe business -- there are even guidebooks detailing on these maid-elicious locations. It seems however, that the time has come for these maids to take it a step further. Maid cafes have now evolved (?) into maid hair salons, and it's all the rage in otaku city.
"At "Maid Hair Salon Moe-shan," maids cut, shampoo and treat your hair, topping it all off with a relaxing massage. The "Refreshing Shampoo Course" goes for 2,000 yen, and includes a shampoo, massage and blow drying, but for those looking to get an actual hair cut there's the "Refreshing Cut Course," for 5,000 yen. Other options include scalp massages and polaroid sessions..."
Open from noon to 9pm on weekdays and 11am to 8pm on weekends.
Mefle Maid Cafe:.
Web: http://mefle.com.
This one is a little different -- this place (situated out in the labyrinthe of small streets beyond Chou Dori) offers reflexology as well as the usual maid tenderness.
As the cafe website claims: Maid + Reflexology = Meflexology. Which neatly explains the name of this establishment.
The cafe website goes on to explain: "足の裏や手のひら、頭などには反射区と言う「体の内部に作用するための入口」があります。その反射区のことを「Reflex（リフレックス）」と言い、反射区を利用した自然療法のことを「Reflexology（リフレクソロジー）」と言います。マッサージなどとは違い、足の裏などにやわらかい刺激を与えることで「体に元からある治癒力」を活性化させます。このため体に余計な負担がかかることもありません。体への癒しであるリフレクソロジーに、心への癒しとして「萌え」をミックスした、当店オリジナルの「Meflexology（ミフレクソロジー）」を是非とも一度ご体験してみてはいかがでしょうか？"
Melty Cure: 外神田４－６－２3F.
(3rd floor Isuzu Building, 4-6-2 Soto Kanda.)
Phone: 03/3254 7557. Web: http://www.meltycure.com.
秋葉原駅電気街口徒歩5分.
銀座線末広町駅徒歩2分.
This is not a cafe, but rather a massage parlor with maids. This place is a cure for all that ails you... and you will melt into a ball of molten goo when those maids get their delicate fingers on you!
Some of the services available include: Foot bath and massage and hand "refresh" (¥2000) and a foot, arm, head and shoulder "refresh" for 1000 Yen.
To see photos of the maids at work, click here.
