Asking the People of Akihabara: Part 4 - Cast Off Co., Ltd.'s Toru Sato

The project involves interviewing people who are active in or work in Akihabara, and sharing their heart-warming love for Akihabara.
Another aim is to have those interviewed introduce their friends to help keep the Akihabara community going.

For this third installment, we spoke with Mr. Sato of Cast Off Co., Ltd., which operates multiple stores in Akihabara.

↓Click here for the second part of our interview with the people of Akihabara.

https://akihabara-bc.jp/akihabara-no-hito-adachi/

What is Cast Off Co., Ltd.?

In the Reiwa era, Akihabara has entered the era of major maid cafes.
Currently, there are over 200 maid cafes operating in Akihabara.
Cast Off Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Cast Off) also operates several maid cafes in Akihabara, and opened a new store, "Stella Charm," in July 2022.
This time, the interview was conducted at "End Roll," one of the maid cafes operated by Cast Off.

Your first step in Akihabara is Pachinov

Q
I looked at your website and I see that Cast Off was founded in 2007.

A
I agree.
I was originally in the pachinko industry, but at one point I decided to go independent and started an advertising agency with some of the people I had been working for.
At first, I didn't have much money, so I started at an advertising agency that required almost no capital, and for a while I worked on various small advertisements.
Eventually, I wanted to open a pachinko parlor.

Q
A hall costs a lot of money, doesn't it?

A
That's right.
It would require a huge amount of money, but I wanted to try what I could first...
Meanwhile, I heard about some otaku businesses in Akihabara, and since I don't dislike watching anime or anything like that, I thought I might give it a try.
So in 2013, we opened a store in Akihabara where pachinko enthusiasts could gather.
The shop is called "Pachinov."

Q
Will Pachinov become an amusement store?

A
Pachinov is a pachinko-themed maid cafe.
Therefore, there were staff members who were properly called con cafe girls.
All of us were big pachinko fans (laughs).
People were talking endlessly about pachinko. There were quite a few customers and it was very popular.

We also had manufacturers use our store for promotions.
I also went from being a store staff member to becoming a writer...and our customers were from all over the country, so it was amazing during Comiket.

Unable to hire staff, the store reluctantly closed

Q
I think it was the most well-known pachinko bar, but how long has it been around since 2013?

A
5 years.
As the pachinko industry continues to decline, it has become increasingly difficult to hire staff.
We were no longer able to hire women who liked pachinko, and towards the end, about 3% of our staff did not play pachinko.
After all, I felt like I had reached my limit and decided to close the shop.

With Pachinov's memorial tablet, the pachinko maid cafe in Akihabara came to an end.
The official name is "Pachinko Slot Genre Cosplay Bar."

Entering the Con Cafe industry in earnest

Q
I think the number of stores has increased since then...

A
Now there are five stores.
We have four stores in Akihabara and one in Shinbashi.
It took five years for me to create Pachinov and get it on track, and then I created the Anime Song Karaoke Bar, Takagaki Research Institute.
Ikebukuro is said to be the mecca of anime song karaoke bars in Tokyo, and there were probably 4 to 50 of them at the time.
I was like, "What is Akihabara doing?!" and it pissed me off (laughs).
At the time, there were some stores far from Akihabara, but some weren't in the center of the city.

Q
What do you think about the current state of the cafe scene?

A
I think there are some things I can't write about (laughs).
There are more and more slightly suspicious shops, aren't there?
There aren't any old-fashioned rip-off restaurants, but there are some that cost quite a bit of money.
So I don't have a very good impression of some stores, and they are a negative point in the industry...
Now, the Chiyoda Ward police and private sector have all cooperated to form something like a concept cafe association, and there's a movement to "follow the rules," so I wonder if things will change in the future as a result of this.

Changes in Akihabara and its impression

Q
You've been active in Akihabara for many years, is there anything you think has changed here?

A
The number of shops is decreasing and the number of restaurants is increasing.
When I first came to Akihabara, my ventilation fan had broken so I was walking around Akihabara looking for a new one, and I found one I could get.
I consulted with the store staff and they told me that this size would fit, so I was able to replace the ventilation fan right away.
Even when I stepped on an electrical outlet and broke it, they replaced the part and it was fixed.
I was impressed that there was a city like this.

It's hard to say for sure, but maybe it was about 10 years ago, or maybe a little longer, but I think that from when there were only maid cafes, the number of maid cafes that served alcohol increased and there was a gradual change.
At first, I simply enjoyed the idea of ​​spending time relaxing in a maid cafe with the maids.
From there, I think the conversation shifted to wanting to talk a little more, right?
At first glance, it might look like a girls bar, but...

It seems that this has changed suddenly, especially in the last one or two years, especially among women.
There was a time when being a hostess was an aspirational profession, but now being a hostess at a con cafe is extremely popular.
We don't hire any high school students, but it seems that high school students have a very strong desire to become glamorous con cafe hostesses.
About 1% of applicants may be high school students.

Q
This is also a change

A
In the end, you can't just suddenly turn them into high school students.
It's not a girls' bar, but the skills required are interpersonal skills and negotiation, so I wonder if they should be making high school students do that...but that may be a selfish thought, though.
I think there are more people who want to work at a con cafe than a maid cafe these days. However, it's quite difficult.
The numbers are also reflected in the support of cast members through drinks, and it's true that people with strong interpersonal skills tend to have higher numbers...
I would like you to gain some experience working in customer service at a place like a convenience store before applying to a maid cafe.

Castoff Sato's recommendations in Akihabara

Q
When I do interviews for this project, there is one thing I always ask
What do you think is the best place to visit in Akihabara?

A
I wonder where it is
There's a concept cafe boom right now, so I think you should definitely go to a con cafe.

▲End roll store

Q
If you come to Akihabara for the first time and decide to go to a con cafe, what kind of cafe is easy for beginners to enjoy?

A
In our chain, I think Stella Charm, which is easy for beginners to enjoy in Akihabara, is one of them.

▲Stella Charm, based on blue and white. It just opened on July 7th.

Unlike our previous stores, this one has a head maid, and she is in charge of all the production for the store.
Everything from the launch to the design of the store and uniforms, the concept, and everything else.
Until now, I was the one who came up with the store concept, but by leaving everything to someone else, we have been able to create things that "would never have come from me or the company."

After the third interview with the people of Akihabara

This time, we spoke with Mr. Sato from Cast Off Co., Ltd., which runs a maid cafe in Akihabara.
Concept cafes are the latest trend in Akihabara.
We will be keeping an eye on Castoff Sato's future plans, exhibitions, and projects as he continues to develop new stores despite the closure of the much-loved Pachinov.