Japan is doing its best to help its geek population.

[Shockeye]

Cute 'maids' groom geeks
 
07/09/2005 12:29  - (SA)



Tokyo - Japanese geeks too pent-up to flirt with women or refine their style can now do both at once - getting their hair cut and washed by "maids" in frilly aprons and bonnets.

Seizing on a lucrative fetish market, Tokyo's latest salon which opened on Wednesday features hairdressers in black miniskirts ready to attend to the fashion needs of the metropolis's geeks.

The hair salon, Moesham, is in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district haunted by drab computer buffs and fanatic hobbyists known as "otaku", which literally means "your home", as in to stay at home.

Maid themes have already proved a huge success among Tokyo's plentiful otaku, with at least 50 cafes, bars, restaurants and massage parlours around the capital staffed by girls in the classic frills.

Hiroshi Asaeda, spokesperson for Tokyo-based company DON which operates the first otaku hair salon, admits he himself had been a computer nerd.

The main reason the otaku are drawn to maids is their obedience and cuteness, Asaeda says.

"Women say men in business suits look 30% better. Girls in maid costumes may look cuter," he says.

There is no sexual contact between the "maids" and the customers who come for a trim, but the hint of it is certainly present.

"Obviously getting shampooed makes you feel good. But it also makes your heart throb as a maid leans over you - very close but not pressed onto your body," he explains.

For the otaku too shy for a peek at what's before him, he can watch the scene on the mirrors on the ceiling above him.

The operative word at the hair salon is "moe", which literally means "to sprout" but in slang translates as a meeker, Japanese version of "to go gaga".

[Merusk]

The operative word at the hair salon is "moe",

There's a joke here far, far more precious than gold. I have too much PC in me to make it, but not enough to avoid pointing it out to the rest of you.

[stray]

The operative word at the hair salon is "moe",

There's a joke here far, far more precious than gold. I have too much PC in me to make it, but not enough to avoid pointing it out to the rest of you.

Anyone remember an 80's standup comic by the name of Bobby Slayton?

He had a funny joke about 200 pictures of Moe (from the 3 Stooges) on the walls of a Chinatown Barbershop...

Anyways, screw the PC stuff. I'm half Asian at least. Me and my brother both had the Bruce Lee/Moe look going on when we were kids (my brother more than me because he was full Asian -- Thai/Chinese).

[edit] If this wasn't what you were referring to, then feel free to ignore me.

[Fabricated]

What the hell is up with all the Chinese resturants in my area having a picture of the three stooges up anyway?

[Strazos]

What is up with the Japanese anyway? Turning everything possible into some sort of twisted homage to Anime.

[schild]

There's a great joke in Densha Otoko about some geeks saying "moe" and a girl saying it back with this quizzical twang and the guys get all flustered up and ask her to repeat it while recording her. It's pretty goddamn funny.

[Sky]

Anyone remember an 80's standup comic by the name of Bobby Slayton?

He had a funny joke about 200 pictures of Moe (from the 3 Stooges) on the walls of a Chinatown Barbershop...

I use that line and pronunciation all the time. "You could have...MOE....or maybe MOE...this one very nice, MOE..."

It's now taken on a life of it's own...we didn't have the $90 to go to MOE.down, there's a bar in town called KokoMOE's, etc. Now someone says moe and I just have to get the crazy look in my eye and my girl knows what's coming. I think the last one was singing Rebel Yell..."With a rebel yell, she cried MOE MOE MOE!"

[schild]

Just for the record, Moe's name is pronounced "Mo" while the japanese word is pronounced "mo-ay"

[stray]

Anyone remember an 80's standup comic by the name of Bobby Slayton?

He had a funny joke about 200 pictures of Moe (from the 3 Stooges) on the walls of a Chinatown Barbershop...

I use that line and pronunciation all the time. "You could have...MOE....or maybe MOE...this one very nice, MOE..."

It's now taken on a life of it's own...we didn't have the $90 to go to MOE.down, there's a bar in town called KokoMOE's, etc. Now someone says moe and I just have to get the crazy look in my eye and my girl knows what's coming. I think the last one was singing Rebel Yell..."With a rebel yell, she cried MOE MOE MOE!"

Oh shit! WTF? I thought I was alone on this. Funny stuff, man.  :-D

[HaemishM]

I loved that Bobby Slayton bit.

[voodoolily]

The saddest part of that story is that the "geek" in the picture was way cuter than the "maid".