I need to get to Japan, and pronto. Not just for the natural beauty, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines. Not just to climb Mt. Fuji or shop Akihabara. But to experience the utterly fantastic weirdness of stuff like this. It's the equivalent of a maid cafe, but created to play to the fetishes of female otaku, rather than male.

Whereas maid cafes, managed by young women in cartoon-like frilly outfits, have indulged the stunted sexual fantasies of male otaku for a decade, businesses are only now considering the commercial potential of the female market.

This is the latest twist in the evolution of Japan's enormous otaku industry, which began as a fringe culture rooted in anime movies and manga drawings but recently flowed into the mainstream before migrating to Western countries.

These cafes staff pretty young men who dress as English schoolboys and play the role of a privileged boarding school students. In addition to the fantasy, food, and drink, one new "boarding school cafe" called Edelstein also "rewards" its regular customers by offering photo opportunities with "pupils."

This surreal scene could be at Eton College, or any of Britain's exclusive public schools. But this is Harajuku, the colourful hub of Tokyo's occasionally unhinged youth culture. And Edelstein is not a school at all. Rather, it is the first of a new type of cafe that satisfies the fantasies of Japan's female otaku a term given to fashion-challenged, socially dysfunctional geeks who collect anime cartoons, manga comics, dolls, trading cards and video games.

Edelstein's manager, 27-year-old Emiko Sakamaki, explains that "my concept was to hire young men who could play the part of beautiful boys that privileged families would send to a good boarding school" a fetish of female otaku, many of whom grow up on "boy's love" comics full of homosexual relationships.

Weird? Yes. Wonderful? That, too.

DjDemix

Mississauga, ON

February 2005

NOV 11, 2007 04:33 AM

This reminds me oddly of Gackt Camui and all the guys on the old Penny-Arcade.com forum that thought she was pretty hot, but flat chested.

MissKoneko

I'm lost

July 2007

NOV 11, 2007 04:51 AM

*drools*
JAPAN! NOW!

Mark_plus_Beer

United Kingdom

August 2005

NOV 11, 2007 05:26 AM

i must go back there sometime

Alz

Lincoln, NE

February 2007

NOV 11, 2007 06:45 AM

As a gaijin who's currently living in Tokyo.. maid cafes give me the creeps. I think a male version is almost creepier. Especially if it plays to the whole 'I am here to serve your pathetic ass as a substitute for sex' theme like maid cafes do.

But then again, Japan brings a whole new level to pandering to sexual urges no matter your fetish, so I'm not all that surprised.

CookiePuss

Dinosaur, CO

November 2002

NOV 11, 2007 07:03 AM

Yes, please.

freshprncebelair

Ellicott City, MD

June 2004

NOV 11, 2007 07:15 AM

But then again, Japan brings a whole new level to pandering to sexual urges no matter your fetish, so I'm not all that surprised.

Rule 34'd

Kokeshi

SUICIDEGIRL

Italy

NOV 11, 2007 08:12 AM

/faints.

TheWriter

Fort Worth, TX

June 2006

NOV 11, 2007 09:04 AM

I'm totally cool with the idea of a school girl cafe, ya know. In fact, I think I'm gonna start drafting a letter to Japan.

/dnd

cexiceci

San Diego, CA

October 2007

NOV 11, 2007 09:47 AM

I love how Japanese culture makes room for so many kinds of sexy.

cmjfoxfyre

Cupertino, CA

February 2006

NOV 11, 2007 10:08 AM

DjDemix said:
This reminds me oddly of Gackt Camui and all the guys on the old Penny-Arcade.com forum that thought she was pretty hot, but flat chested.

lol...i just had a conversation about That with my roommate. ahh, how looks can Deceive.

Waldo_Jeffers

United Kingdom

OLD SKOOL

NOV 11, 2007 10:19 AM

As someone who went to a boarding school (albeit one with a mixture of boarding pupils and dayboys) I find the idea of "boarding school cafe" amusing. That said our uniform was bit different from the ones pictured. I think it would be even more amusing if boarding school cafe's existed for people with a fetish about bluecoat uniforms.

On the subject of fetishism concerning people wearing school uniforms, the age of consent in Japan is set comparatively low, at age 13 so perhaps this fetish is a little bit disturbing too.

GreenBlooded

United Kingdom

April 2006

NOV 11, 2007 12:43 PM

freshprncebelair said:
Rule 34'd

That was just what I was thinking!

queen_reality

I'm lost

March 2007

NOV 11, 2007 12:48 PM

1 ticket to Japan, please

Vanessa

SUICIDEGIRL

USA

NOV 11, 2007 12:55 PM

Oh my fucking god.

Although that dude on the right is kind of creepy looking.

_tesko

HOPEFUL

Chicago, IL

NOV 11, 2007 01:41 PM

yet another reason why i really need to get a passport.

StarBelliedBoy

Philadelphia, PA

December 2003

NOV 11, 2007 02:31 PM

Hahahaha. I love how Japan isn't so hateful to its nerd culture, and actually indulges their nerdy desires.

Dovanna

Minneapolis, MN

March 2007

NOV 11, 2007 03:43 PM

I keep hearing that Japan is a very conservative culture... but then I read weird stuff like this. Which is it??? lol

Clidna

Canada

January 2005

NOV 11, 2007 03:53 PM

Am I the only one that wondered if any of their "boarding school boys" carried wands?

Yes?

I shall leave now.

Vanessa

SUICIDEGIRL

USA

NOV 11, 2007 04:00 PM

They have more cafes that are for females, I forget what they're called but they have girls dress like gorgeous, feminine looking bishonen.
It's so girls (like me. ahem) that are attracted to this kind of male can go to a cafe and be waited on by these hot "boys" but not worry about the "boys" hitting on them.

Although I personally would like to have boys that look like that hit on me, but since I play for both teams and find androgyny extremely hot, I would like to go to this kind of bishonen cafe and then have a fine wanking experience shortly thereafter.

Clidna

Canada

January 2005

NOV 11, 2007 04:15 PM

Interesting... why do I not have a passport yet? Oh, right, because it's 7:13pm on a Sunday...

xPenelopex

Maple Ridge, BC

August 2006

NOV 11, 2007 05:17 PM

live action yaoi!?!\\

*nosebleed*

Emi

SUICIDEGIRL

USA

NOV 12, 2007 12:50 AM

people have to go to a cafe for this?

COME TO MY HOUSE, XD

Valium

SUICIDEGIRL

France

NOV 12, 2007 01:52 AM

want!

Louis_XIV

France

August 2007

NOV 12, 2007 07:20 AM

I'm sure that my brother, Philippe Duke of Orléans, known as "Monsieur", would apreciate a visit in this café.

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Los Angeles, CA

March 2006

NOV 10, 2007 10:28 AM

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I'm lost

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Chicago, IL

NOV 11, 2007 01:41 PM

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