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With a tagline that reads, “Of the GAIJIN! By the GAIJIN!! For the GAIJIN!!!”, it’s easy to understand what Akihabara’s newest maid cafe is all about, once you find out that the word “gaijin” means “foreigner” in Japanese.
Called “Sugoi Kawaii“, which translates to “Super Cute“, this new maid cafe is set to open in late June in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, where it aims to stand out from a bevy of competing establishments with its unique selling point: foreign maids.
According to Minowhuski, the company behind the idea, this new cafe is designed to help spread the culture of moe throughout the world. A concept not easily explained in words, “moe” refers to the strong feelings of affection that fans feel for cute and endearing characters in manga, anime and video games.
Staff at maid cafes serve up refreshments and light meals with a side of moe by using cute phrases with customers and engaging them in fun, simple games. However, given that local staff at these cafes usually use Japanese to speak with customers, regardless of whether a customer can understand Japanese, Minowhuski believes it can be difficult for visitors to fully appreciate moe culture.
At the new Sugoi Kawaii cafe, foreign maids will be able to convey moe culture to foreign guests more effectively by using the same types of cute phrases and games commonly enjoyed at maid cafes, only this time it will be in a language they can understand. While the “official” language at the cafe will be English, the company aims to hire people who can speak different languages as well.
Current staff hail from countries like France, Germany, Taiwan, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy and the U.S.
If getting paid to serve customers in a maid’s outfit sounds like your dream job, then you’ll be happy to know that the cafe is currently hiring! According to the job ad, the cafe operators are looking for “multinational gaijin maids” aged between 16 and 29, who are available to work a shift of four hours or more between the hours of 6-11 p.m. on two to four days of the week.
The hourly wage is 1,000 yen, and 950 yen during the training period, a rate which is on par with the large majority of part-time jobs in Japan.
Head on over to the cafe’s official English website for application details, which ask for photos, bust-waist-hip measurements, and height and weight details for each applicant.
While it’s not mentioned in the job description, if you happen to have experience at one of the maid cafes in Russia or the U.S., it’s sure to put you at an advantage.
Sources: Akiba Keizai Shimbun, Sugoi Kawaii
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© SoraNews24
15 Comments
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sensei258
Wow, a 50 yen raise when you complete the "training"
kawabegawa198
Plenty of English teachers do just this.
Dirk T
Women gaijin have worked in snacks forever. The conditions here, I suspect, won't be nearly as bad ...
Dan Lewis
Mmmm Yeeeaaaaah.... no thanks.
Striker10
Surely even low paying English schools pay better than 1000 yen/hour though, no?
Just a user
I remember when Akihabara used to be a great tech place to get all your software, hardware, cables etc from many places to choose from. Now it's full of these losers, what a shame.
Striker10
It does, but it has condescending connotations. Gaikokujin would be the correct word to use. Somehow I doubt this company is actually run by foreigners as the tag line would suggest. The whole thing reeks of casual Japanese racism. Why would any self respecting foreigner work at such a place for such low pay?
John Brown
I went with my girl to one of these cafes. The girls on the billboards, look nothing like the actual waitresses. The maid outfits were the same, but the maids are not even cuter than normal everyday girls out and about on an average day in Japan, and I thought that quite odd...
In either case, why would a forienger want this like their own country? Maid cafes are distinctly Japanese and at least to me, that is their draw to go. I am not sure I will ever go to one again, especially being so expensive for just two sodas and I think we may of had a cookie, and as I said the girls were not that cute...
Luddite
Whoop de do. Foreign women in Japan rejoice, you too can be infantilised and leered at by losers.
lucabrasi
Plenty of English teachers do just this.
But they don't, do they? If they're English teachers, they're teaching English. They don't have time to be dressing up as maids.
Unless, by "English teachers" you mean "people upon whom I look with disdain". If that's the case, then come out and say so.
Striker10
Maybe he was referring to foreigners working as English teachers for shady companies where they are basically exploited, somewhat akin to the maid cafe in the article?
thepersoniamnow
Just a user
If you insist that people still go out and buy cds and software, then yeah sure, if YOU insist.
But there is a reason why Akihabara isn't like it used to be 10 years ago, and that's actually the main reason why it's physically changing.
Maybe you are over 50 and still buy cds?
thepersoniamnow
@Just a User
Nobody buys cables or software physically from stores anymore too. Thats the half of it.
Just a user
Nobody? Speak for yourself, professionals do when they need specifics
pacint
Akiba was always mostly grey market goods. With the buildings aging the ward decided to tear them down and build an IT town there.
So buildings designated to be torn down offered shorter term leases which suited anime and pink businesses.
Fast forward a few years and Akiba became known as an Anime/Pink paradise.