Tokyo Stories

Butlers Cafe timetable, showing 80 minutes time slots are mostly full.

First I must apologize - I don't have any photo of what I'll be discussing about - Butlers Cafe.

I am no expert of Otaku culture, in fact, I probably know less than the average Japanese because I was away from japan for a long time. But recently, I had an opportunity to be with two researchers, Mizuko Itoh and Daisuke Okabe, who kindly took this ignorant person to what is called butlers cafe.

First, I have to mention that the cafe was located in Ikebukuro. I have always thought Akihabara is the center of Otaku; what I didn't know, was that Akihabara is a center of male Otaku; If you are a female Otaku, Ikebukuro is the place to hang out.

What is so special about the cafe? The cafe is certainly very popular, because to be in the cafe for 80 minutes, you have to reserve one month in advance. And don't even try to look for phone numbers, because there isn't one; reservation can only be made online. I hear that the cafe is, most of the times, fully booked.

Butler cafe, is literally a cafe with butlers. It creates a situation that each customer is a daughter or a son of a very rich and decent family; the closest thing I can imagine, is Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. In the film, she lived in a huge house and a loyal butler was there to serve. The cafe had the same concept, with very formally dressed men to serve you.

I must say that the place did have some element of what Japanese perceive as richness; chandeliers, gold clocks, chimneys, roses. Unfortunately the place had a low ceiling, just like any other Japanese homes, and with two huge chandeliers hanging, I felt even more confined.
Entering the cafe itself is free of charge. Instead, you pay about three times more for the small portion of food you get. Menus came in exclusive titles, the sandwich menu was called Richard the Third.

For the entire time, you are escorted by a butler who does everything for you. When I say everything, I mean you should not carry bags on your own or walk on your own; you should ring a bell if you want more tea. You should ring a bell, if you want to go to a toilet, too. And do not worry, a butler will escort you to the toilet. And on the way back.

The most important thing, it seems, that these rules, create opportunities for these shy teenage girls to interact with cute guys who have ideal hairstyles and clothings that they dream of. Ideal hairstyle refers to comic books that they read.

What seemed also interesting to me, is that although the situation the comic has drawn refers to many European countries, these girls would probably not even think of visiting those origins. They know very well that there are no cute butlers to serve you, or to stay in such luxurious and traditional homes. They know very well, that the world they fancy, is in two-dimensional world.

"It is time for your horse ride" -- says the butler. He's basically saying that it is time for you to leave.

http://butlers-cafe.jp/