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New Akihabara Hair Salon Caters to Anime Fans

Tokyo's electronics district, Akihabara, has earned a reputation for catering to the anime fan market with its used video game stores, hobby shops, and maid cafes. OFF-KAi!!, which opened on October 1, offers something even more niche: a hair salon for anime fans.

OFF-KAi!! proclaims itself to be "of otaku [anime fans], by otaku, for otaku." The salon is well-stocked with manga, art books, posters, and other paraphernalia to entrance anime fan customers while they wait their turn. Around 1,300 anime and video game-related songs play in the background. The staff are all into anime and willing to chat about as they style your hair -- and yes, they can style it like an anime character's upon request. According to the website, they even offer counseling.

Like any proper anime-related endeavor, OFF-KAi!! has its own mascot, Marwishka Offka, with her own profile (she likes massaging her dad's back with her legs, searching for ant nests, and her mom's fruit tarts, if you're curious). She was illustrated by Kurehito Misaki (Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend).

The store has already earned rave reviews on Twitter, since as the website Nijipoi puts it, "it's definitely embarrassing to go to a normal beauty salon with a picture of an anime character."

It is customary for newly opened businesses in Japan to receive gifts.

This customer received a hairstyle mimicking the protagonist of Persona 5.


Marwishka is already getting fanart.

OFF-KAi!!'s address is Sotokanda 3-6-6 Hattori Building 1F, and its hours are 12 PM to 10 PM (last appointment at 9). Appointments can be made via its own app (available at Google Play and iTunes).

Note: 5,400 yen = $51.89, 10,800 yen = $103.75, 16,200 yen = $156, 12,900 yen = $124, 2,700 yen = $26

Source: Nijipoi