Asking the People of Akihabara: Part 6 - Chiyo Jinbo, the Female Owner of Ninja Cafe

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 sixth installment, we spoke with Jinbo Chiyo, the talented female president of the ninja-themed Shinobazu Cafe in Akihabara and several other stores.

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

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

We visited Shinobazu Cafe and conducted an interview.

Today, I went to the concept cafe "Shinobazu Cafe" I visited the "


As you can see from the exterior, the setting is "Mansei Castle" (a castle), and it is a ninja-themed cafe where you are welcomed as a lord or princess and served by serving ninjas.
This is a store with a strong entertainment theme, which is rare even in Akihabara these days, and you can not only enjoy food and drinks but also amusement performances by ninjas at the same time.

There are plenty of activities for customers to enjoy, including live performances, board-breaking, and throwing shuriken (dart style).
This is a recommended store for those who want to enjoy entertainment in Akihabara.

Jinbo Chise - Diving into the maid cafe world -

Q
Thank you for your time today.
First of all, please tell us about when you first came to Akihabara.

A
Thank you.
I'm originally from Shiga Prefecture and started working in Akihabara in 2015.

I jumped into the maid cafe industry in 2013, but it was two years later that I started working in Akihabara.

Q
When it comes to maid cafes and con cafes, the first ones to come out were outside of Akihabara...

A
At first, I worked as a maid in a place other than Akihabara.
However, the building in which the store was located was undergoing renovations and the store was forced to close.
I worked at a maid cafe for about two years, and I really liked the maids and found the work interesting and fun...
I tried a lot of different part-time jobs, but I ended up here (Shinobazu) thanks to the connections I made during my time as a maid.

At first, I traveled once a week, an hour and a half each way.

Q
I started working in Akihabara and have been working there ever since.

A
Yes.
However, at first, it was difficult for me to get there since I was living in Hachioji.
Even though I lived in Hachioji, it took about an hour and a half to get there because I lived deep in the mountains (laughs).
I was grateful to be approached by the former president, but I told him that I was busy with university and could only attend about once a week, and that I wasn't sure if I would be able to contribute immediately.He said, "But still, I'd love to work there," and I started working part-time at Shinobazu Cafe.

Even though I tried my best, I could only go two or three times a week, but they were very kind to me.
However, after graduating from university, I also left Shinobazu and got a job.

I struggled to find the job I wanted at a brutal company.

Q
After graduating and getting a job, will you return to Shinobazu again?

A
As a new graduate, I got a job at a small publishing company, but the president was very dictatorial and it was the epitome of the Black industry.
I was confident in my mental strength, but my body just couldn't take it (laughs).

My job was selling advertisements in magazines.
While working in B2B advertising sales, I realized that what I really love is making the customers in front of me smile...
I realized that working at a publishing company wasn't the right fit for me, so I started working there as a new graduate in April, but quit in December.
I then went back to my parents' home in Shiga and spent a long winter break there.

About a month after I left, I went to Shinobazu...

Q
After that, when did you return to Shinobazu?

A

I started working there in January, the month after I left the publishing company.
I don't know how he heard about it (laughs), but the former president contacted me and asked me if I would like to come back to work for the company.
I accepted the offer with the thought, "I'll give it another go in Tokyo!"

Q
I came back to my parents' house from Tokyo, and it was almost like a complete backstab...

A
That's right.
When I returned, I started out in accounting.
I was asked to work behind the scenes rather than returning as a cast member, so I handled general affairs including not only accounting but also human resources, labor, and interviews.
Even though it was called a concept cafe, it was a corporation, so I think they did the same things that a normal corporation would do.
It wasn't a big company, so the work wasn't extremely demanding, but I also didn't have much free time.

Q
Did it gradually start to come out into the open from there?

A
There were days when we didn't have enough staff, so on those days I would go to the store to help out.
I also want to build relationships with the girls who work there, so I talk to them about various things...
After a year of intensive study of accounting, I became responsible for all stores.
By that time, I had almost completely returned to the forefront and was devoting myself to mentoring and educating employees.
He was then appointed Representative Director in March 2020.

Future development of con cafes and new business ventures

Q
Do you have any plans for how you would like to develop your store or company in the future?

A
I want Shinobazu Cafe to be a shop that embodies the "Akihabara concept cafe."
We want to further expand the Shinobazu Cafe brand, so we have a strong desire to increase the number of new and repeat customers by leveraging our original concept and performance.

Speaking of expanding my store, I would like to open an acupuncture clinic in Akihabara.
I have to attend acupuncture and moxibustion school for three years, and I'm currently in the second semester of my second year.
I go to school every weekday and then come to work!

Q
Isn't that what we call a student president?

A
Actually, that's true.
In Akihabara, there are places for mental healing called con cafes, but there are still few places where you can pursue physical healing and beauty.
I am very interested in cosmetic acupuncture, so I would like to open an acupuncture clinic that specializes in that.
Of course, I would like to create a stylish acupuncture clinic that both men and women can feel comfortable in!
I am able to attend school thanks to the hard work of the store manager and employees, so I will do my best too.

After the third interview with the people of Akihabara

This time, there was more story than ever before, so it was difficult to write an article about everything.
It was interesting to hear that when Kimura Takuya visited the store, the number of fans visiting increased, and when Tenchim visited, the number of job applications increased dramatically.
If there is something I can release somewhere, I would like to make a special edition.

Chiyo Jinbo has had a wide range of experiences since her student days and has now risen to become the second-generation president.
What kind of developments will Akihabara see in the future?
We will continue to keep an eye on developments from our Akihabara base camp.
If you're interested, be sure to check out Jinbo Chiyo's Twitter!
Jimbo Chiyo Twitter