by Steve Levenstein

Japan has exported cars and electronics to the West for decades, but it’s only recently that the nation’s dynamic culture, led by Pokemon and other Anime has also made the trip. Their success has led a few enterprising types to try transplanting some of the more offbeat aspects of Japanese culture into foreign soil. Can it work? Your on-the-scene reporter visited the I Maid Café in Toronto, Canada today to find out first hand!

Maid cafes have sprung up all over Japan since the first one opened in 1998, catering mainly to so-called “otaku” (fans of costume roleplay for example) who feel more comfortable dealing with a subservient maid then with other people in social settings. Imagine how surprised I was to discover that here in Toronto, Canada, just a few minutes away by car, is an actual maid café!

As for the food, it was quite tasty, accented by the glass of cool Mint Coffee my wife & I shared. The service, while decent, didn’t really differ from that of any other normal café. I’m not sure what we expected and it might be too much to ask that we be greeted with the “Welcome, Master and Mistress” emoted by staff at Japanese maid cafes. As well, neither foot rubs nor complementary ear cleaning were in the offing – maybe I’ve overly researched the topic of maid cafes!

Then again, what percentage of I Maid Café’s clientele really expects the full-on Japanese theme café experience? Considering the lack of local competition, I Maid Café does a good job of bringing a little Japanese weirdness to far-away Toronto. (images via I Maid Café)

Steve Levenstein
Japanese Innovations Writer
InventorSpot.com