Osaka 'maid cafe' women fly to Taiwan to attract tourists+

OSAKA, July 24 Kyodo -
A group of seven ''maid cafe'' waitresses wearing miniskirts and aprons left
Osaka for Taiwan on Friday in a bid to attract tourists to the largest business
area in western Japan.

''We'll sing and dance our best to promote Japanese pop culture,'' Manae Miura,
18, told a send-off event at Kansai International Airport as representative of
the eight-woman delegation.
The ''maids'' are from cafes in Osaka's Nippombashi district, home of Japanese
pop culture in the city.
The delegation will take part in a big event featuring animated films and
comics as well as an exchange event at a maid cafe in Taiwan, where maid cafes
have recently become popular, during their stay through Sunday.
Kansai International Airport Co., operator of the airport, spearheaded the
project to send the young women to Taiwan to promote tourism against the
backdrop of a decrease in passengers during the protracted economic downturn.
==Kyodo