Tokyo’s classiest café brings back the butler

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 22:41 — Anonymous by Brandi Goode"Yes, my princess!"
These are the first words caressing my ears (more like assaulting, really --
these guys are super-genki) as I enter Butlers Café in Shibuya, a retreat
for young females in search of a relaxing afternoon, an English lesson and
most importantly, the chance to interact with friendly men. Friendly foreign
men. The surroundings call to mind a Victorian grandmother's sitting room,
with classical music, ample accents of lace and more hearts and roses
adorning the furniture than can possibly be counted. Butlers Café is one of
a growing band of similarly themed establishments in Tokyo, but it is the
only one where English is the official language. After interviewing 200 women
on the streets of Shibuya nearly six years ago, owner Yuki Hirohata found
that nearly all of them listed English conversation practice as a leading
goal because they wanted to "communicate with foreigners."read more