However, recently, there have been a lot of other shops which have arisen that cater to the needs of otaku. These shops would include those outlets which handle anime character merchandise and manga fan fiction. Aside from these, there are also maid cafes all over the district, where the waitresses are in maid costumes similar to the ones that are featured in manga. This further cemented the reputation of the Akihabara district for quirky pop culture. The district has subsequently been identified as the hub for otaku culture, a culture which has already spread from Tokyo to many other areas throughout the world.