Maid Cafes are a tradition in Tokyo’s otaku-centric Akihabara neighborhood. People say they’re a romantic version of strip clubs: Instead of lapdances, you buy innocent displays of affection. How does it feel to pay for puppy love? I found out. I had been reading for years about Maid Cafes, places where lonely otaku (geeks) pay to drink and talk with fancifully-dressed girls about anime. They’re o