Has anyone ever been to a "Maid Bar" in Japan?

[dfagdfsh]

This topic came up today at work and I figured that there are a lot of worldy/well traveled people on the forums... so, have you? What was it like? Were you aroused or creeped out?

 

[rach2jlc]

"Companion" bars are very typical in Japan, not just maids, but any sort of variety you can think of. Ones with foreign hostesses, those who dress up in traditional costume, etc are pretty standard. Mostly, they just sit with you, pour you drinks, engage you in conversation, etc. It rarely goes further than that; it's certainly less sexualized than nyotaimori.

Even I, proud repeller of the Mollusk of Decrepitude in all of its ensnarements, have been to many with my colleagues from work. Our Board of Education had its Christmas after-party some years back at an "Okama Pub," or a bar staffed by transvestite hosts/hostesses. Our superintendent was known to love "China Companions," or women who were either Chinese or dressed up in traditional Chinese clothing.

It's really quite a normal thing in Japan, though the "maid" thing is more in Tokyo/Akihabara and considered a place for "nerds/otaku."

 

[dfagdfsh]

I know about that but I'm specifically curious about the otaku frequented Maid Bars in Akihabara.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Teger

I know about that but I'm specifically curious about the otaku frequented Maid Bars in Akihabara.
Oh, in that case, then I don't know. Really, I think that it isn't all that high respected and so really most travelers or businessmen, especially, wouldn't be taken to one. That whole culture has also recently been under a lot of social scrutiny since a socially inept, insane "otaku" who frequented those sorts of places drove a truck into a crowd of people in Akihabara and then got out and started stabbing people at random... killing a few people and wounding others. Nevertheless, some of the younger guys who've spent time in japan may have been to them. Really, if a guy is going to do something whacky and hypersexualized in Japan, nyotaimori is the thing to do (eating sushi off of nekkid femininas.)

 

[dfagdfsh]

One thing that we were wondering is that is this kind of a prostitute thing? Is part of the Maid experience a lead up to a sexual encounter? They mentioned paying $75 for 'alone time' on this show about it... is that the sex?

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Teger

One thing that we were wondering is that is this kind of a prostitute thing? Is part of the Maid experience a lead up to a sexual encounter? They mentioned paying $75 for 'alone time' on this show about it... is that the sex?
For 8000 yen or $75, it certainly wouldn't involve sex. 8000 yen in Tokyo will maybe let you see her little tittaaays. That's about it. It barely would get you drinks and have her sit there and pour them for you. Nyotaimori, too, doesn't involve sex and it's generally a few hundred bucks. SO, sex would be a lot higher and probably "off the books" in that setting. But, again, I'm starting to get out of my realm of expertise. Asian or American mollusks, I avoid them all like the plague.

 

[dfagdfsh]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

For 8000 yen or $75, it certainly wouldn't involve sex. 8000 yen in Tokyo will maybe let you see her little tittaaays. That's about it. It barely would get you drinks and have her sit there and pour them for you.

Are you an otaku? Do you have funny otaku stories? What's your favorite manga?

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Teger

Are you an otaku? Do you have funny otaku stories? What's your favorite manga?

Haha; I am not an otaku. I don't watch manga and know nothing about it, haha. I'm the sort of guy who loans his Japanese friends copies of Kawabata and tanizaki, because they've never read them.

My friends and I go out in Shinjuku or Shibuya in Yohji and CdG. Akihibara, aside from gaijin, is the realm of super-nerds.

 

[amerikajinda]

I am neither aroused nor creeped out by them... I find them fascinating! Same goes for the "image clubs" or imekura (イメクラ)...

Here are some websites so you can get a feel for what they're like: http://www.cafe-athome.com/ http://r-milk.com/main_index.html http://www.cos-cha.com/ http://www.mia-cafe.com/ http://www.mailish.jp/ http://littlebsd.com/ http://www.pinafore.jp/ http://www.cafedoll.com/ http://www.heidi.ne.jp/hp/index.html http://www.hiyokoya.net/

 

[GQgeek]

japan is whack.

 

[montyharding]

Perhaps not so much whack, as a collective who never really learned to grow up...

 

[amerikajinda]

Originally Posted by montyharding

Perhaps not so much whack, as a collective who never really learned to grow up...
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...57C0A961958260

 

[edmorel]

I've only been to Japan once and I was taken to a club where you paid women to come and sit with you, get drinks etc. They were not dressed special but if you wanted, for an extra $150, they would bring back the sheets of toilet paper they used to wipe everytime they went to the bathroom and you could take the sheets home or sit around the table and smell them throughout the night.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I've only been to Japan once and I was taken to a club where you paid women to come and sit with you, get drinks etc. They were not dressed special but if you wanted, for an extra $150, they would bring back the sheets of toilet paper they used to wipe everytime they went to the bathroom and you could take the sheets home or sit around the table and smell them throughout the night.

wtf are you serious? Are we talking #1 or #2? Either way it's nasty. I know that you can buy used panties in vending machines there, but damn...

 

[zeni]

I went to a couple with friends when I was at Waseda. There were lots of creepy loner guys, young and old (they're everywhere in Akiba), and surprisingly a few male/female pairs as well. It was pretty expensive- you had to pay for food, conversation, games and photos, if inclined. We just ordered some iced coffees. The maid pours the milk and stirs it for you. We played Jenga with our meido and chatted her up a bit haha... she got all hush-hush and said she wasn't really old enough to be working there. Maybe that's a line she uses to get the pervy older customers all worked up and slip her some extra Yen. In terms of hot vs. creepy, some of them were cute, but there's definitely a creepiness in seeing these pathetic looking old guys having such a goddamn blast playing Uno and Jenga with teenage girls in maid outfits. It was interesting for the experience but not worth going back. I saw they had a maid hair salon and also a cat-girl cafe, but we didn't bother. On the exterior people were just having drinks and talking to the maids and such, but I'm sure there are more sexual things going on depending on where you go. For instance, I recall reading something about one called 'Hand Maid' where they provide certain, uh, handy services.