We’ve seen all kinds of maid cafes all over Japan, from ones that specialize in zombie girls to ones where the girls seductively make rice balls right in front of you. But one type of maid cafe that has been sorely lacking is one dedicated to girls with a fuller figure, the kind of girls known in Japan by the playful monicker of marshmallow girls.
But all that changes now! Shangrila is a maid cafe that recently opened in Akihabara, and it will be staffed completely by more well-rounded young women. What kind of stuff does a cafe like this have in store for its customers? Read on to find out!
Shangrila was founded on the ideal of being “bositive” (“body positive”), in order to help lower the stigma of being chubby or slightly overweight (or pocchari/debu if you prefer) in Japan. They want to show that you don’t have to be skinny to be cute, and that happiness and beauty can be found in many different shapes and sizes.
And that’s not all. Shangrila also aspires to have the best food of any maid cafe. There’s no plastic-tasting junk food here; Shangrila uses only fresh, organic ingredients, and they employ an Italian chef who cooks using a brick oven. They make the bold claim of having the best pizza in all of Akihabara, but only time will tell on that matter.
▼ And if you’re a fan of karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), Arino Iku—known as the karaage idol in Japan—also works at Shangrila.
But the most important question is, of course, what does Shangrila look like? It’s only been officially open for a few days, so photos are of course sparse, but here are some of the official pictures that have been released:
▼ Here’s Ai, Enen, and Natsumi all looking quite spunky in their maid outfits.
▼ And rounding out the team roster is Rukia and Cocoa.
▼ A shot of one of the maids enticing customers outside.
▼ Behind this staff member you can catch a peek at what it looks like inside. Seems pretty classy to me.
▼ “Won’t you come visit our cafe?”
If Shangrila sounds like something you’d be interested in visiting, then check it out at the address below or by going to their website. Now’s your chance to show off your pocchari-pride!
Cafe Location (Moving on 11/27)
Name: Shangrila
Address (Before 11/27): Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda 3-7-12 Isamiya 8th Bldg. 3F
東京都千代田区外神田3-7-12 イサミヤ第8ビル 3F
Address (After 11/27): Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda 3-1-15 Hashikatsu Bldg. 4F
東京都千代田区外神田3-1-15 箸勝ビル4F
Hours (After 11/27): 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Closed Sundays)
Hours (After 11/27): 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Every day)
Source/insert images: Shangrila
Featured/top image: Shangrila (Edited by RocketNews24)