Unless you’ve been focusing exclusively on the Warring States period of Japanese history, you’re probably aware that costume play — generally known as ‘cosplay’ — is very popular in today’s Japan. Actually, I have a theory that not only is it popular, it’s a fundamental aspect of Japanese culture. In Japan, you can’t just go cycling or snowboarding on a whim. No indeed. You have to have exactly the right clothing to do it in before you even think of trying it. So actually, the ferocious armour of the Warring States period was mainly driven by the Japanese urge to cosplay. Probably.
If you’re in the centre of Matsuyama and you want to dip a toe in the strange water of cosplay, a visit to the Merry Maid Café on Chifune Dori is a good place to start. The institution of maid café in Japan has a somewhat salacious history, and so it may not even occur to decent-minded folk to try it. It certainly never crossed my mind until a lady-friend invited me to go with her as an adventure in cultural anthropology.
The Merry Maid Café in Matsuyama is on the fifth floor of an undistinguished building on one of the city’s main thoroughfares. The place is marked by a big sign covering the picture windows on the fifth floor, and a chalkboard easel in front of the premises, with a cutesy menu adorned with plenty of little red hearts. You go up to the fifth floor in the lift, with your little red heart beating hard in anticipation. But when you arrive, you might be slightly disappointed to find yourself in a very plain and ineptly decorated room, with only one merry maid.
The single merry maid greeted us charmingly however, and made us feel at ease. She indicated the machine from which we were to purchase tickets for our drinks, and tickets for the privilege of taking her photograph (600 yen for coffee, 500 yen for a photo). The customer is quickly given to understand that he need not do anything so menial as put coins in a slot. The maid will cup his sticky paw in one beautifully manicured hand and take the cash from it in the other. He will then say which button he wants pressed, and she will do the hard work of pushing it for him. Similarly when the coffee is brought to the table, the maid will do the honours with the sugar and the stirring. All the customer has to do himself is drink it. The coffee is otherwise not special, it must be said. Besides coffee, various simple pasta, curry and rice and so on is served at reasonable prices.
Our maid was called Hinata-chan, and she giggled charmingly throughout, and naively told us she was a little nervous because we were her first foreigners. I forgave her this mild social gaffe because she was wearing nice black frilly knickerbockers which were revealed when she bent over. At the end, she walked us to the lift and entreated us to come back soon. She also let it be known that events are held in which all the staff appear in special cosplay outfits. If my schedule weren’t full of more humdrum activities, I might be tempted to check out an event at the Merry Maid Café.
