I suppose the idea of a Mother Cafe is not that weird, not when you have heard of (drum roll) the Herbivore Man. In fact, it seems like the aforementioned cafe has propped up catering especially to these young ones. So what am I going on about? Mother Cafe is a recent development in Japan where the waitresses dress up as 'motherly' figures. 

I am not quite sure how you should dress to resemble someone's mom. In this case, the guys at the cafe are asking the ladies to don maid's outfits. Well, in apron-fitted numbers that are typical of waitress uniforms. I am hoping none of them had to put on a French maid's outfit, that would be pushing it a bit. 

Apparently the Osaka-based cafe, hires women who look older than their age. The age group itself is anywhere between 19 - 40 years. I can see how a 25 year old can look a tad older, thus enabling her to mother someone in their mid-teens. But a 19 year old? This can't be great for the young girl's ego either. After all, not many young ladies like being compared to someone's mother, especially in the looks department.

As it happens, motherly looks are such one aspect of mother cafe. The stress is on looking wiser, acting more mature and generally showering attention on the customers. So, when someone pops into cafe (again I keep thinking this one's aimed at New Age metrosexual men), the waitresses take their orders but also take time to listen to them. Ask them about their day, make them feel good about themselves. I must pause now as the cafe has started to sound creepy. It could be that I have inadvertently drawn a parallel with ladies whom folks can call for … comfort.

Nothing ominous like that here though. However, apparently regulars can be luckily enough to have the same waitress as their mother hen. I love the bit in this site about how they are supposed to nag at the young men too. That's not exactly the best way for reeling in customers. Bad enough that they get the pressure at home, no need to get that at their favorite cafe. It does say something about parents in general; maybe this is aimed at younger folk who feel their folks are too busy to talk to them / ask about them. Given how busy everyone is these days, it is understandable that some moms and dads are probably too caught up in work to have time for their young ones. I wonder if having a pseudo-mom in a cafe is the answer though. It's still strange to think that the folks coming to the cafe might develop attachments for the folks who work there. What about those awkward moments when a mom from the cage quits? And she runs into her honorary son at the supermart? Slight 'I'll be watching you like Sting's Police' moment there, isn't it? Is it me or does it start to get weirder when you do a gender-reversal and think of a Dad's cafe? Yikes!