Where did the trend for sexy maids come from in Japan (14 photos)
I will not discover America by saying that an undisguised sympathy for pretty girls in maid costumes is not unique to the residents of Japan. It is a well-known fact that the image of a maid in a short skirt, neat stockings, and even with a pipidastra (a dust broom) in her hand is highly sexualized in many countries around the world and is one of the most popular characters in the artistic and multimedia space. 
Sexy maid image
However, in Japan, love for the image of a sexy maid has the character of a fetish, that is, a certain obsession, which is why it is found almost everywhere: in computer games, in movies and anime, in souvenirs, in manga and the adult industry. By the way, today the image of a maid surpasses in popularity and recognition even the most famous traditional Japanese female image - the image of a geisha. 
The image of a sexy maid in the game
But where did the sympathy for representatives of this particular profession come from? Why not the image of a nurse or flight attendant, who are also quite popular characters in erotic fantasies? In fact, there is no definite answer to this question. Perhaps the emergence of such a fetish was influenced by the strength of the corporate spirit and the prevalence of a culture of containment in Japanese society. Simply put, ordinary Japanese do not work to live, but live to work. 
Maids in the manga 
Maids in anime
This naturally suggests a disappointing conclusion: Japanese citizens, who spend almost all their time at work, have a monotonous and, by and large, emotionless life. And, as you know, the more boring and monotonous a person’s social life, the more sophisticated his interests... and passions. 
The image of a maid in Japan
All these factors in one way or another influenced the fact that the “master-servant” model has become one of the most popular fetishes in Japanese society. Those who in real life perform the functions of a leader often find themselves in the role of a subordinate in role-playing games, and vice versa. And the image of a maid, as you understand, fits perfectly into this scenario. 
The image of a maid in Japan
Also, the indifference of the Japanese to maids may well be justified by their love in principle for everything cute, because, you see, girls in maid costumes, appearing before the viewer on a TV screen or looking at him from the pages of a manga, look as cute and sweet as possible. It's like cats, plush toys and now...maid girls. In addition, such an image fully corresponds to men’s idea of what an ideal Japanese woman should be - sweet, kind, helpful, caring and just a little bit depraved. 
Maids in anime
Although most Japanese publications still agree that the emergence of a real fetish dedicated to sexy maids was largely influenced by the so-called maid cafes - Japanese cosplay cafes, the name of which comes from the English word “maid”, which means “maid”. 
Maid cafe
What distinguishes these cafes from other similar establishments is that the clothes of the young waitresses are very reminiscent of the uniform of the maids of a medieval English estate: short skirts, long leggings, aprons, hairpins, bows and everything like that. 
Maid cafe
The first maid cafes appeared in Akihabara, an area that was famous for its popularity among otaku - big fans of anime and manga. However, later they were, so to speak, “tasted” by ordinary Japanese citizens who had nothing to do with anime culture. 
Maid cafe
Many people cite the 1990 crisis as one of the reasons for the sharply increased popularity of maid cafes, which greatly influenced the development of Japan and the attitude of the Japanese themselves towards sexuality. It began to be perceived as something individual and very intimate, unrelated to the interaction of two people. 
Maid cafe
Simply put, in Japan, a person who is unable to build a full-fledged relationship and find a partner with whom he could connect his life is not at all an outcast and is not considered somehow “wrong.” On the contrary, all conditions are created for him so that he does not feel lonely, and a maid cafe is one of such “cure for loneliness”... as, indeed, are computer games, manga, and anime. 
Maid cafe
The Japanese, people who spend most of their lives at work and often do not have time for live communication and building relationships, feel surrounded by pretty maids, loved, needed and, most importantly, self-confident, which is something many Japanese lack! 
Maid cafe
Girls in aprons and leggings will not repel, offend or betray. Moreover, many researchers of this “phenomenon” call maid cafe employees real cupids, helping the most modest and closed Japanese people successfully socially adapt to relationships with the opposite sex. 
Maid cafe
