An Unusual Life in Akihabara! Shisha and maids are an immoral taste.

When one thinks of Akihabara, one thinks of "anime," "maids," "otaku," and more recently, "con cafes," which are cafes that incorporate specific themes, and "card games," the hot topic of Pokéka, may come to mind. Did you know that there is a maid shisha bar that will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year in Akiba, a place that has been around for a long time and is one of the oldest in Akiba, where such fashions are in and out of fashion? For this issue of Shungori's Akiba Exploration, we visited the long-established maid shisha bar "AKIBA Smokers.

Shisha, also called water tobacco, is a type of cigarette smoked by passing the smoke through a "water pipe," a smoking device filled with water. By passing the smoke through the water, it has a softer taste than regular cigarettes and contains less nicotine, tar, and other harmful substances. Shisha has been a hot topic on social networking sites for several years, and recently the number of shisha bars for enjoying shisha has been increasing, with some izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) also offering the drink. However, shisha bars may give the impression of being somewhat difficult to enter, such as "I don't smoke," "I'm a non-smoker," or "underground image," and when topped with maids, the pure Akibaites may find it even more difficult to enter. In this report, we will try to dispel some of this image, including the atmosphere of the store.

( *Smoking is prohibited by law for those under 20 years old.)

AKIBA Smokers is a 7-minute walk from the south exit of JR Akihabara Station's Electric Town, and a 2-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Suehirocho Station, located in the back street from Chuo-dori, the main street of Akihabara. It may be easier to understand for Akiba residents to call it a street connecting the parts street and the junk street.

The area is dotted with PC stores and junk shops, and is marked by the sign "Maid's Water Cigarette" that appears to blend in with the old-fashioned Akihabara streetscape.

As I climbed the stairs and opened the door of the store, I was immediately greeted by a maid with a smile.

The interior of the store is decorated in a Middle Eastern style, and the dark lighting creates a relaxed atmosphere.
There are a maximum of 22 seats, with a wide space between them, so you can immerse yourself in your own world without worrying about your surroundings. The restaurant is a healthy establishment that has submitted the necessary notifications, including a business license for the restaurant business, a tobacco license, and has cleared standards for a smoking room, so you can rest assured that it is in good standing.

( *Smoking by persons under 20 years old is prohibited by law.)

Once seated, after confirming your age, a maid will explain the menu.

At this time, they will tell you in detail about the price structure and flavors, so if you have any questions, you may want to ask them at this time.

For the cheapest experience, the charge (600 yen) + 1 drink order system (from 500 yen) + shisha set (2,300 yen) is 3,400 yen plus tax, or 3,740 yen.

*Two hours may be charged on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and during busy times.

Since this was an interview, I had the opportunity to try both the August seasonal flavors, Fruity Candy and Orange Sherbet.

The August limited edition flavor comes with an "ice hose" that cools the smoke and cools you down.

Incidentally, the September limited edition flavor is titled "Witch's Tea Party," a Halloween-inspired flavor choice with the bottle topped with black tea syrup.

Order a drink and shisha flavor, and the maid will mix it for you.

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the shisha, including mixing the flavors, adjusting the charcoal, and checking the smoke output, so drink your drink and wait for the mixing to finish.

The maids who served us that day were "Shizuku" and "Kyo.

Both of them were friendly, cute and knowledgeable about shisha.

If you meet your favorite maid, it is a good idea to ask her about her future plans for serving you.

When you are ready, your shisha will be brought to you.

At this time, they will teach you how to smoke, so if you are new to shisha, please listen carefully.

Smokers should also watch the maid's demonstration carefully, as the way of smoking is different from that of regular cigarettes.

The sight of a maid smoking a shisha gives you an indescribable sense of immorality, something that is not easy to experience.

Once you are ready, you will enjoy the rest of the shisha time.

Relaxing and smoking shisha makes me feel as if all my daily stresses are exhaled along with the smoke.

The relaxing background music and dim lighting in the restaurant make you feel even more relaxed.

You may be thinking, "If I don't smoke, won't the coals go away?" You may be thinking, "But the maids will take care of the charcoal for you, so there is no need to rush to smoke.

You can enjoy reading a book or playing a game, or if the maids don't seem busy, you can chat with them. Free Wi-Fi is also available in the store, so you can bring your PC to work.

By the way, I am writing this article while smoking shisha at AKIBA Smokers!

You can enjoy yourself in any way you like as long as it is within the bounds of common sense and does not bother the people around you.

( *Smoking by people under 20 years old is prohibited by law.)

The "Fruity Candy" and "Orange Sherbet" we were served this time are both sweetened concoctions inspired by ice cream, and by passing the smoke through the "ice hose," a pipe filled with refrigerant, you can enjoy the taste as if you were eating ice cream. This is a must-try if you have a chance to try it to get through this summer, which is being called the "global boiling" season.

When you enjoy a shisha at this store, you will receive a sticker designed by a maid and a shisha notebook in which you can write down the flavors you enjoyed that day. If you find a flavor you like, you can take out your notebook when you come back to the store later and have the same concoction made.
Also, the stickers are collectible, as the design changes every month, so you can enjoy collecting them as well.

Stickers distributed in the past. All of the illustrations are so cute that you will want to collect them.

So, for the 21st installment of Shun Gori's visit to Akiba, we had a chance to try shisha at "AKIBA Smokers.

Shisha is no longer a rarity these days due to the shisha boom, but AKIBA Smokers is celebrating its 10th anniversary next year in Akiba by fusing two cultures that are not originally intertwined: maids and shisha. Even Shungori, who has been visiting Akiba for 40 years, was so enchanted by his first taste of this unique space that he started going there on his own after the interview.

Many non-smokers and nonsmokers may be thinking, "Shisha is just a cigarette after all.

Of course, shisha contains nicotine and tar, so it is basically the same as cigarettes, and in Japan, you must be at least 20 years old to enter a shisha store. However, there is a non-nicotine shisha called "Decloud" that even such people can enjoy, so why not enjoy it as a form of relaxation instead of lumping it together with cigarettes?

( *Smoking is prohibited by law for those under 20 years old.)

Store Information

Name: "AKIBA Smokers Main Store

Address: Hagino Bldg. 2F, 3-8-17 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Phone: 03-3526-2850

Business hours:14:00-22:00

Open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 12:00

Saturday, Sunday, and eve of national holidays close 23:00

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Store MAP