Tokyo’s viral Muscle Girls bar flexes a brawny sort of beauty

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.”