Restaurant and bar Newtype opened in Akihabara on May 1.

“Otoko no ko,” a Japanese expression referring to men dressed as women, serve customers at this late-night establishment. The name comes from the fictional Gundam series concept of “newtypes,” who are said to be the next stage of evolution in the Gundam universe. The “otoko no ko” are “creating a new culture, so you can say that they are a new breed of humans, like 'new types.’”

Newtype is only open late at night Thursday through Saturday, with varying concepts on different nights. On Thursdays, the establishment is a portable gamers café, mostly featuring multiplayer matches on PSPs. On Fridays and Saturdays, Newtype joins up with DearStage (which runs its business in the same building) and functions as a bar where customers are served by cross-dressing young men and “beautiful young female idols.”

Ochazuke-san, the establishment’s manager, said, “Women’s clothes are the biggest thing in the underground culture right now. There’ve been a lot of games and anime coming out recently with cute young boys wearing women’s clothing, and those clothes are creating excitement in Akiba, too. Already there's an idea like, ‘Women’s clothing are allowed in Akiba,’ and there are lots of women's fashion events. So I thought that if that kind of thing is being encouraged in this day and age, then now I can do business with cute young boys dressed as girls, so I opened this bar.”

Newtype is open from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
 

 This article has been created in collaboration with
Akiba Keizai Shimbun

"Refreshment Cafe" with Kimono-Clad Staff (Akiba Today)

Schoolgirls Stepping Up (Akiba Today)

Newtype (Japanese)