Edelstein, A Cafe That Is Sanctuary To Tokyo's Yaoi Fangirls

Otakus and other anime lovers in Tokyo may now find a bit of sanctuary at the Edelstein café, which opened around late 2007.

If and when you visit Tokyo, Japan, and if you are one that appreciates the culture of anime and manga, there is definitely one place to visit: Edelstein. Edelstein is a café in Tokyo which opened up somewhere around late 2007. This café has the theme centered on the culture of anime and manga. The owner of Edelstein is a twenty-seven year old girl named Emiko Sakamaki. This café has a specific anime/manga theme. Sakamaki explains that Edelstein is based on a cult manga classic which revolves around a boarding school in Germany. The waiters are dressed as school boys and give high-pitched voices. In short, when you visit Edelstein, imagine yourself in an actual anime/manga. The waiters are usually aspiring actors or models. But, they are mainly chosen for androgynous looks. They have beautifully manicured hands and pink lipstick. One could say that Edelstein is an otaku fangirl’s dream come true. But this looks to serve well as most of the patrons are female and anime/manga lovers. Also, the creation of Edelstein is attributed to the rising popular of the yaoi-themed genre. For those that do not know what yaoi is, it means “boy-love.” In any genre that is dubbed “yaoi,” expect a lot of same-sex relationships. Unless you are into anime/manga, you might not know what yaoi means. On a side note, a lot of yaoi-genre themes have a lot of graphic sex and violence. So yes, if and when you read a yaoi manga, expect to see that stuff. If you have a problem with that, do not say I didn’t warn you. In short, Edelstein’s success has been attributed to the rise of homoerotic themed manga targeted towards Japan’s female demographic. So far, the yaoi fangirls have come out of the woodwork and it has generated profits for Edelstein. However, Edelstein is not the only manga-themed restaurant. There is another place called Yellowtail. Instead of school boys that act very animated, the waiters are “highly trained butlers.” Edelstein has schoolboys and Yellowtail has butlers. Yes, yaoi is very popular in the world of manga. Yaoi is pronounced as: YOW-ee.