Playback ’05] Pachinko Shops and Reflexology…The Day Akiba’s “Moe” Swept Japan

What did “FRIDAY” report 10, 20, or 30 years ago? In “Playback Friday,” we revisit the topics that were hot at the time. This time, we will look back at the “Holy shit! 　 Finding “Angels” at the Latest Moe Spots” from the September 16, 2005 issue.

The year 2005 was the year of the “moe” boom. The drama “Densha Otoko” (Fuji Television) and special features on news programs made Akiba, the sacred land of otaku, a nationwide moe phenomenon. This article introduces the “moe spots” that have sprung up one after another in the wake of the boom (descriptions in parentheses are taken from previous articles).

Pachinko parlors where “masters” are greeted in cosplay

The pachinko parlor “Island Akihabara” in Akiba, a “moe mecca,” is attracting a lot of attention. Perhaps because of its location, anime machines such as “CR Evangelion” are popular, and the manager is proud to say, “Our 70 Eva machines are the best in Tokyo! The manager is proud to say, “Our 70 Eva machines are the best in Tokyo! The manager is proud to say, “We have 70 Eva machines, the most in Tokyo! That is the “Moe Moe Team” that greets customers in maid costumes, saying “Welcome home, master!

The “Moe Moe Team” is a corps of beautiful girls who were formed to promote the store’s goal of “moe-eru pachinko” (pachinko that brings out the best in players). The “Moe Moe Team” is divided into two groups: the “Performance and Excitement Team,” which welcomes customers at the storefront and performs dances and songs inside the store, and the “Concierge Team,” which performs customer service duties, and spreads the “moe” atmosphere inside the store. The two members of the “performance team” were actresses and celebrities who were active at the time, and were so popular that they drew crowds (the “Moe Moe Team” service has now been terminated).

There was also “May Foot” (now closed), a reflexology store where maids would fir your hands and feet to relax your body and mind as a real healing experience. At the time, the reporter who covered the event experienced a 40-minute foot care course (4,000 yen), which focused on the soles of the feet.

After a five-minute foot bath, the foot care began. After a five-minute foot bath, the foot care began. For several minutes, the therapist carefully cared for the shins, calves, soles, and toes using aroma oil. I was impressed that they washed my dirty little feet so carefully. ……” This is when the reporter realized the secret of the popularity of this service.

In maid cafes and Japanese-style pubs, you can have direct contact with maids, but here you can have a much longer skin-to-skin relationship with them than you can in other genres. Maids’ hands stay on you and you can even enjoy conversation with them, which is a dream come true for maid lovers. In principle, it is a little disappointing that you cannot choose your favorite maid, but you will definitely be healed both mentally and physically!

It seems that both mind and body were completely refreshed.

The article also covered “maid beauty salons,” “voice actor cafes,” and the “At Home Cafe,” where maids debuted their CDs. There were 23 maids (and some voice actors) who appeared in this article. All were lovely angels. In 2005, the “moe” culture was beginning to flourish.

It was not a passing fad.

In the same year, “moe~” won the You-Can New Words and Trendy Words Award. The award was presented to “Perfect Maid Manifesto,” a unit of maids from the “At Home Cafe.

The word “moe” is said to have first become popular among the online community in the early 1990s. There are various theories as to the origin of the word, and it is not certain. At first, the word was used by otaku men to express their fondness for their favorite female characters, but it has since become a generalized term that expresses feelings of affection for a variety of subjects, regardless of gender, and at the same time expresses emotion itself.

The maid café, which has somehow become an indispensable part of the “moe” conversation, was originally called “Cure Maid Café,” which opened in Akihabara in 2001. This café became the talk of the town, and a rash of maid cafes sprang up in Akihabara, giving birth to various “variants,” such as the one described in this article. However, it is said that only about half of the maid cafes in Akihabara remained in existence until 2011.

Now, 20 years after the boom of 2005, “moe” has become a universal word, and many foreigners visit Akihabara. Of the stores mentioned in the article, “Island Akihabara” and “At Home Cafe” are still going strong.