Concept
The concept behind the cafe, Hirohata says, came to her after interviewing "over 200 women" who all told her that Japanese women "want a cafe where the waiters were male, good-looking, will treat them nice, but most importantly were Western." The cafe claims to be a place of "healing" for women at an affordable price, in which Japanese girls are provided a "safe setting" to interact with foreign men. The cafe attempts to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a western fairy tale. The butlers treat the customers in a cordial manner by opening doors, taking coats and pulling out chairs, and tiaras are even presented with their meal. The butlers, down on bended knee, play games and, when desired, engage in English conversation as entertainment for the "princesses." A lift me up photo is even on the menu in which the customer can be lifted by the butler of her choice for a picture they later print out. Western-style fantasies have long been popular in Japan, an example being the large success of the Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea theme parks since they opened in 1983 and 2001. The butlers are foreign males, often in their 20's and ideally "cute, cheerful and sweet."
Read more about this topic: Butlers Cafe
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