If you are under 20, please refrain from entering.
A café-style venue built around one theme, such as maids, uniforms, anime or kimono, where you eat and drink while chatting with staff in costume. Prices are lower than at a hostess club, and the theme carries the evening even without Japanese.
The concept cafe category means the venue's themed world and the costumes are the main attraction. Both the theme and how the staff spend time with you differ from place to place, so read the photos and the description for the theme and the way you will interact with staff before you choose.
Under the Entertainment Business Act, what counts is not what a venue calls itself but whether it provides hosted entertainment. The National Police Agency's interpretation standards say that staying near a small group of customers and keeping them company in conversation is hosting, and a business that does it needs a licence from the public safety commission (Article 3).
A licensed venue may not trade from midnight to 6 a.m. except where a local by-law extends the hours (Article 13). A cafe that only serves orders across the counter and does not host operates as a restaurant, and registers under Article 33 if it serves alcohol late at night.
Licensed hosted venues may not admit anyone under 18, and other restaurants may not admit under-18s between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a parent or guardian (Articles 22 and 32). Whether the bill is split into a cover charge, photo fees and so on differs by venue, so check the price list and ask before ordering.
Listed in Akihabara right now: Concept Cafe (1 venue) and Girls Bar (1 venue). You pay a set fee by the hour, with nomination (shimei) and drink charges on top, so confirm the total with each venue before you sit down.
Akihabara is generally fine for a night out. The main risk is bottakuri, a padded bill at the end. Stick to venues that post their prices, skip street touts steering you into ‘free’ bars, and confirm the set fee plus any nomination or bottle charges before you order.
Payment methods vary by venue. Check the listing and confirm with the venue before booking.
Ranked by listing weight and recent activity
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