Think of it as cosplay taken to the ultimate extreme: not only dressing as your favorite anime character, but also wearing an unnerving oversized fake head, complete with giant eyes, to go with the outfit…

This extreme style of cosplay is known in Japan as Animegao ("anime face"), “dollers”, or “kigurumi” (a word meaning “costumed mascot”). Perhaps you’ve seen evidence of this uncanny subculture before at an anime convention, or stumbled across their images somewhere on the Internet. Perhaps they made you instinctively flinch in fear or facination. Or maybe, you wondered, “Wow, wouldn’t it be great if I could get one to serve me a café au lait and an omlet?” 

Kigurumi Cafe t.t.t. is a revolutionary new kind of maid cafe set to open for one day only in Tokyo’s Akihabara district. What will separate this establishment from many other maid-themed businesses operating in the area is the staff.  A rotating cast of seven different costumed anime faced doller maids will be on hand to serve otaku customers food and beverage items from a 1,300 yen set menu (1,500 yen if you spurge for the café au lait or a hot chocolate). So far, advanced interest has been substantial enough for the official Cafe t.t.t. website to start booking reservations. The site also mentions that “touching the maids is prohibited” -- you know someone will still try -- but you can take souvenir photos, and even play games with them, for an additional fee.

Meanwhile, the Cafe t.t.t. blog is posting photo diaries written by the “maids” themselves as they plan for the big day (“One month to go before the opening! I’m so nervous!” reads one entry).

We wish the “girls” of Kigurumi Cafe t.t.t. the best of luck for the grand opening, but the question remains: who or what is inside of those suits? (Hint: they might not actually be girls...)

Maid Momo

Maid Shiori 

Maid Nonoka

Maid Uyuri

Maid Mai