Costumed concept cafe workers distribute fliers to passers-by on Ota Road in Osaka’s Nipponbashi district, one of the largest electronics shopping areas in western Japan, on May 8, 2025. (Mainichi/Chinatsu Ide)
OSAKA — “Concept cafes,” establishments that showcase specific themes or aesthetics, have been steadily gaining popularity — especially among Japan’s young people.
However, under Japanese law, the legal classification of these cafes as either restaurants or adult entertainment businesses depends on their services and operations. Some disregard these rules, conducting illicit activities far beyond the cafe concept. Behind the facade of the seemingly harmless “concept cafe,” authorities are watching closely for any sign of illegality.
“Care to try our cafe?” “We’ll pamper you and sweep you off your feet!” Calls like these fill the air in the Nipponbashi district of Osaka’s Naniwa Ward, known as western Japan’s largest electronics shopping area. The surrounding neighborhoods along Ota Road — a roughly 400-meter-long thoroughfare — are home to about 100 concept cafes.
On an early May evening, women dressed in maid outfits, sailor-style school uniforms or men’s clothing fill both sides of the streets, distributing flyers and inviting passersby to visit their establishments.
Cosplay, animal themes and ‘men-con’ cafes gaining popularity
Developing out of the “maid cafe” boom of the early 2000s, concept cafes have diversified significantly, leading to variations such as cosplay cafes featuring various characters and cafes themed around animals. Around Nipponbashi, the trend started gaining momentum about a decade ago, and it has now also spread to other entertainment districts in nearby Minami.
Ota Road in Osaka’s Nipponbashi area is pictured on May 8, 2025. There are about 100 concept cafes clustered in the neighborhood. (Mainichi/Chinatsu Ide)
Customers typically enjoy food and drinks along with conversation with staff. Recently, “men’s concept cafes” (“men-con”) establishments have also started to gain popularity, where handsome men with idol-like appearances, sometimes former host club workers, interact with customers under pseudonyms.
Most concept cafes operate under permits as food establishments. However, businesses conducting “entertainment services,” such as designated staff having extended personal conversations with customers, are required to obtain another license stipulated under Japan’s Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business.
According to the National Police Agency, entertainment services can include performances, dancing or even games — not merely providing food and drinks. Investigative sources indicate many establishments likely operate without the appropriate permits, deliberately ignoring these obligations to avoid limitations on operating hours or age restrictions for visitors.
The amusement business law prohibits establishments from operating after midnight or allowing entrance to minors under 18. However, cafes claiming to be ordinary restaurants can evade these restrictions.
Osaka cafe operators arrested on suspicion of illegal entertainment services
On May 21, Osaka Prefectural Police announced the arrest of people including a concept cafe owner and manager on suspicion of violating the amusement business law by having male staff members entertain customers without obtaining the necessary permits. The owner operated multiple establishments in the downtown area of Osaka’s Chuo Ward close to Ota Road. A senior Osaka police official explained, “Although registered as a cafe, it appears they illegally provided entertainment services such as male staff drinking and chatting intimately with patrons in private booths.”
This crackdown comes immediately after an amendment to the amusement business law passed the House of Representatives on May 20. Prompted by recent problems involving female customers at host clubs accruing massive debts, the revised legislation toughens penalties against businesses operating without permits, including host clubs and cafes. Except for some specific measures, this amendment will generally be implemented one month following its official promulgation.
The aforementioned senior police official expressed concerns that tighter regulations on host clubs might lead more operators to adopt the cafe model as a cover. The official stated, “We will strengthen the crackdown on unlicensed concept cafe operations.”
The Choa Live concept cafe cited by Osaka Prefectural Police for illicitly providing entertainment services is seen in Osaka’s Chuo Ward on May 20, 2025. (Mainichi/Takeshi Nishimura)
This latest arrest signals the authorities’ intention to increase vigilance in preventing widespread illegal operations in the cafe industry. In September 2024, Osaka police arrested an operator of another concept cafe and others in Chuo Ward for similar violations. At that cafe, female staff slapped customers’ cheeks — a service billed as “face slaps” — for 500 yen (roughly $3.50) per slap. After the arrest, the operator admitted, “We didn’t obtain relevant permits because the restriction would prevent us from operating late-night hours, hurting our sales.”
Street solicitation has also become problematic. Naniwa Police Station, overseeing Ota Road, received approximately 200 complaints in 2024 alone criticizing cafe employees’ aggressive sales tactics. In January 2025, police issued official instructions to about 50 cafes to comply strictly with regulations.
Cafe industry group introduces self-regulation
Local cafe industry operators have also started mobilizing against unscrupulous practices. About two years ago, roughly 30 establishments around Nipponbashi formed the “Osaka Nipponbashi Concept Shop Union” in the city’s Naniwa Ward to combat unruly businesses damaging the area’s reputation.
The association set clear self-enforced rules that prohibit intrusive street solicitation, demand transparent pricing displays and require members to showcase union-authorized insignia or “approval marks.”
Union chairperson Tomoaki Yamashita, who also runs a concept cafe, emphasized, “Negative media coverage focusing on bad apples tends to overshadow businesses operating honestly. However, many cafes follow the rules diligently. To protect the uniqueness of our cafe culture, we encourage compliance throughout the industry and intend to create a safe neighborhood where people can visit with peace of mind.”
(Japanese original by Chinatsu Ide, Osaka City News Department)
AloJapan.com