Maids plant “moe” rice in Akihabara, Tokyo.
14 women, including “maids,” or waitresses working at costume play restaurants and cafes in Akihabara, Tokyo, and animation voice actors, experienced farming on the roof of The Japan Agriucltural News building in Akihabara on Thursday, May 30.
The event, the fifth of its kind, is named Akihabara Vegetable Garden Project and was held by an environmental NPO group Licolita under the theme of Zero Food Miles to encourage people to grow what they eat. The participants planted rice which will be sold as “moe rice” in bags with cute anime characters printed on them. “Moe,” popularly used by anime freaks in Akihabara, is a slang word with many shifting definitions, including having strong feelings for a specific character in anime or video games.
The women also planted carrot seeds and ginger, and watered summer vegetables. The group plans to hold a harvest festival in autumn.
“I’m looking forward to harvesting carrots. I wonder how big they will grow,” said Kayoko, 22, who works at Soup Curry Kamui, a curry rice restaurant in Kandasudacho. “After harvesting, I want the carrots to be cooked in a curry soup at the restaurant I work for,” she said.
(May 31, 2013)