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Cafe with Cat
The skit in the fourth epsiode of Doujin Work 「ドージンワーク」 took place at a cosplay cafe in Akihabara. It’s none other than the “Cafe with Cat” 「カフェ ウィズ キャット」 that’s situated within the new wing of Toranoana 「とらのあな」 .
Cafe with Cat (anime version)
That episode brought back much memories. This was the third cosplay cafe that I’d visited during my Tokyo trip last year.
“Cafe with Cat” is a neko-mimi (cat ears) themed maid cafe 「ネコミミ喫茶」. The cafe opened its doors in August last year, coinciding with the opening of the Comic Toranoana Akihabara Main Store.
Cafe with Cat (real version)
I happened to be at the cafe on my last day in Tokyo during my previous visit, the day after the cafe’s official opening.
Cafe “with Cat” or “Witch Cat”?
The maids at this cafe are supposed to be ‘magical cats’ looking for a master to serve. (萌～！！！)
In the Doujin Work episode, Tsuyuri (露理), Justice (ジャスティス) and Sola (ソーラ) tails Najimi (なじみ) to find out where she’s working part time. They saw her walking into Toranoana in Akihabara.
Doujin Work Ep.4 – Catgirl Cafe (subtitled by Spoon Subs)
To their surprise, they realised Najimi was working at the cosplay cafe there. They decided to pay her a visit. Hilarity ensues. [Note: My favourite character in this anime series is Tsuyuri. Because she is sibeh kuailan, and can think of the most dastardly pranks in her dead pan expression. XD].
Junichiro Hoshi (星純一郎), who has the hots for Najimi had been coming to the cafe almost everyday after she’s started work as a meido there. Justice, who spotted his ‘love-rival’ at the cafe, went over to confront him. He tried to convince Junichiro that his pursuit is futile because Najimi was Justice’s childhood friend (Osananajimi/幼馴染 aka 青梅竹馬)
Junichiro Hoshi’s point card
However, Junichiro turned the tables on Justice when he whipped out his point card.
Like many other maid cafe around Akihabara, the point card system is one of the marketing techniques to retain customer loyalty.
My point card
I was given a point card during my visit to “Cafe with Cat”. However, my check was only enough for one stamp. Here’s the ‘contract’ governing the point award system:
Will you become my Master?
Every 500yen gets you a point. With the accumulated points, you can redeem for the following:
1 C – Obtaining the name of the ’servant cat’
3 C – The ’servant cat’ will light your cigarette, and you get to keep the lighter
5 C – The ’servant cat’ will doodle on the coaster and you get to keep it
10 C – The ’servant cat’ will treat you to your favourite drink
15 C – The ’servant cat’ will help you clean your glasses
20 C – The ’servant cat’ will treat you to your favourite cake
30 C – The ’servant cat’ will treat you to a parfait
40 C – You get to take a souvenir photo with the ’servant cat’ and she will present you the ribbon choker that she wears. [You would have spent 20,000yen or S$259.48]
Junichiro pwned Justice when he invoked his privilege points to make Najimi do her magic.
Moé Spell Casting
When a meido cast her spell, all the other customers in the cafe are also indirect beneficiaries of the moé magic.
At this cafe, there’s two costume designs.
There’s a magenta version:
Officer Costume
(I think this is probably worn by the manager/officer class).
And then the common yellow/orange version:
Najimi in Cat Trooper Costume
If there’s going to be a figure of Najimi in the Cafe with Cat costume…I’d be the first in line.
In real life, here’s how the neko-mimi meido look like:
〇〇ちゃん
I managed to get her photo (won’t tell you how I got it) ;-)
Here’s more of them:
Neko Meido (pix from Akibablog)
You can see their pictures at:
Akibablog: ネコミミ喫茶 Cafe with Cat（カフェ ウィズ キャット） プレオープン
Maidblog: ネコさんたちがマスターをお出迎え ネコミミ喫茶Cafe with Cat
And more pictures from this person’s trip to the cafe: とらのあなの戦略とCafe with Catオープン and here’s an interview with 中永さん, the tencho of “Cafe with Cat”.
Not one maid cafe is the same, and they vary from theme to theme. This year, Don先輩 brought me around Akihabara and I got to experience the different kinds of maid cafe. At some places, you may experience culture shock.
After watching this episode, I so want to go back to “Cafe with Cat” again…
For anyone who reads this older article and might be thinking about visiting this place: too late! During my trip to Akihabara I found out that it closed it doors since this series was made. Toranoana still exists and appears to do fine, but the space above it is now used for mere storage purposes–sad, but true. I really would have loved to lay my hands on of those point cards.