A dozen women in sports bras and tight shorts stand behind a U-shaped counter at an underground bar in a busy Tokyo neighbourhood, chiselled frames on full display as they crush grapefruit in unison with their bare hands.
The music blares and neon lights flicker against a hot-pink backdrop as customers at fitness-themed bar Muscle Girls whoop and cheer in a scramble to capture the ritual on smartphones.
¡°Most people in Japan generally consider women with small breasts, a slender back and skinny legs as attractive,¡± says Hitomi Harigae, manager of the bar, which features only women performers. ¡°The customers who come here are different.¡±
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