Japan should officially be known as the land of themed cafés. From cat cafés to owl cafés, character cafés and maid cafés… there’s even a café where you can pay 980 yen (US$9.57) to get two young men to share a stick of Pocky. Mouth to mouth. And that’s not all that is on their fantasy-inducing menu.
Regardless if you’re a fujoshi (girls who are fans of homoerotic fiction) or not, you should take a peek behind this particular curtain, because honestly, this probably isn’t something you’d get to see on an average day!
As some of you may already know, a certain area of Ikebukuro is famous for being the “Akihabara for fujoshi”. While Akihabara is known for its otaku culture, Ikebukuro’s Otome Road is known as a fujoshi’s treasure cove as the stretch of manga, anime and cosplay stores in the area carry a wide collection of Boy’s Love (BL) goods.
Apart from retail stores, the quaint corner of Ikebukuro also houses butler cafes and the reason for this article, the Ikebukuro Boy’s Love Academy café. As its name suggests, the cafe features a school-like setting, and the staff are dressed in “school uniforms” that make them look like characters who just walked out of a boy’s love school-life anime. Of course, as you would probably have guessed, all the staff at this establishment are fresh-faced young men.
▼ “Students” of the Ikebukuro Boy’s Love Academy.
The staff are split into three grades, just like in a real high school, and customers can tell which “year” the staff are simply by looking at the neckties they wear. Freshmen sport red ties, sophomores wear blue, while third-years have pink ties. In the fantasy realm of the BL Academy, customers are students, just like the staff, and first time visitors start off as freshmen.
A student card is issued to all customers, and it can be used to accumulate points on each visit. The accumulated points entitle customers to receive special services such as birthday surprises and even a staged love confession scene from any two staff.
The café serves a variety of main dishes, finger snacks, desserts and beverages. Among which, the most popular selection has to be the “Fantasizing Coupling Pocky” that costs 980 yen ($9.57). You might be wondering, why would anyone pay that exorbitant price for chocolate coated biscuit sticks that usually cost around 100 yen ($1) a box? To be specific, you’re not just paying for the biscuits, but for the generous serving of fanservice that comes in the form of two staff of your choice sharing a stick of Pocky. Also in the same BL category of the menu is the “Coupling Onigiri” that would involve two staff of your choice staging a flirty scene as they hand-make you some rice balls.
▼ Menu.
▼ The special treat that would make a fujoshi’s heart race.
▼ Seeing is believing.
How’s that for starters? If you’re interested in visiting the BL Academy, the following information is what you might want to take note of.
▼ School fees.
Daytime School Fees
Basic fees: 1,000 yen ($9.76) for a 60-minute session + one drink
Time extension: 500 yen ($4.88) for 30-minute extensionNighttime School Fees
Basic fees: 1,000 yen ($9.76) for a 60-minute session + one drink, or,
2,800 yen ($27.33) for a free-time package + one drink (any time between 12 midnight to 4AM)* A 100 yen ($1) administration charge applies for first-time visitors.
* 10% surcharge applies to fees and additional food and beverage orders made between 10:30PM to 5AM.
▼ School rules.
No touching of the students.
Photography/videography is prohibited. (Only still photos of food and beverages ordered is allowed.)
Please leave the school on time.
No outside food or drinks allowed.
Please be nice to other students of the academy.
【Shop Information】
池袋男子BL学園
〒170-0013 豊島区東池袋3-9-13 岩下ビル2F
JR山手線池袋駅東口より徒歩10分 帝京平成大学正面
TEL：03-5985-4157
Ikebukuro Boy’s Love Academy
〒170-0013
3 Chome-9-13 Higashi-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Iwashita Building 2F
10-minute walk from JR Yamanote line Ikebukuro Station East exit, in front of Teikyo Heisei University
TEL：03-5985-4157
Website | Blog | Twitter
Opening hours
Weekdays: 3:00PM ~ 10:30PM
Saturday: 12:00PM ~ 5:00AM (next day)
Sunday: 12:00PM ~ 10:30PM
▼ These boys are waiting for your arrival!
Source: Zhaizhai News
Images: Ikebukuro Boy’s Love Academy official website and blog, YouTube