Japan's 'muscle girls' look to crush norms of willowy beauty


Hitomi Harigae, 38, manager of Muscle Girls, a fitness-themed bar, flexes during a dance performance in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO (Reuters) -A dozen women in sports bras and tight shorts stood behind a U-shaped counter at an underground bar in a busy Tokyo neighbourhood, chiselled frames on full display as they crushed grapefruit in unison with their bare hands.

The music blared and neon lights flickered against a hot-pink backdrop as customers at fitness-themed bar Muscle Girls whooped and cheered in a scramble to capture the ritual on smartphones.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Bus falls into river while boarding ferry in Bangladesh, leaving 24 dead
Analysis-Maduro case to test US narcoterrorism law with limited trial success
Panel wants prosecution of ousted Nepal PM over violence in Gen Z protests
Indonesia military officer steps down following acid attack on activist
Tehran rejects US claims of ‘ongoing, productive’ negotiations
Russian attacks kill two in Ukraine's Kharkiv, damage infrastructure on the Danube
Democrats, Republicans trade blame as major U.S. airports continue to see hours-long security lines
U.S. stocks finish higher on reports over Middle East
From the Frontline: Shattered life inside a forgotten train carriage
North Korea's Kim Jong Un welcomed Belarus President Lukashenko to Pyongyang, KCNA says

Others Also Read