bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Zoey Zhang

A bar in Japan which employs muscle-bound young women to slap customers around and carry them in their arms – princess style – is attracting people from around the world.
The Tokyo fitness-themed watering hole, Muscle Girls Bar, is staffed by pumped-up waitresses, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, fitness influencers, professional wrestlers and actresses.
Customers can exchange Japanese yen for so-called muscle coins to pay for services such as being slapped, kicked, or princess-carried by the waitresses.
The cost of individual services can be as much as 30,000 yen (US$200).

Waitresses crush grapefruits with their bare hands to make the bar’s most popular cocktails.
Patrons can also ride on their shoulders while they perform squats, with charges varying based on the customer’s weight.
One waitress, Maru, who weighs around 50kg, can lift and carry – princess style – a 130kg man.
Bar manager, Hari, a former fitness influencer on YouTube, opened the venue in 2020 after her gym closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A keen volleyball player since her childhood, Hari says she is confident about her slapping strength and technique.

Meanwhile, Hikaru, a Japanese male customer, smiled after being slapped and said: “The pain made me forget all my worries.”
Hari said: “After slapping an Australian customer, word spread, and his friends came specifically for the slapping service.”
A map of the world on a wall in the bar reveals the international nature of its clientele, with visitors hailing from Denmark, Mexico, and Germany, among other places.
Woman customer Samantha Low expressed her admiration for the staff, saying that they break the stereotype of Japanese women being frail and petite.
“I feel very free and liberated in this bar,” she said.
The bar has prompted much discussion on social media.
“Women need to put in more effort than men to build muscle. I admire these muscular girls,” one online observer wrote on YouTube.
“Being slapped is a very unique way to relieve stress,” said another.

Some took a different view: “I can’t understand why anyone would go to a bar to experience physical pain. This is crazy.”
Japan is no stranger to themed businesses, it is also home to maid cafes, laboratory-themed bars and ninja restaurants.
The trend is also being copied in China.
In July, an academic-themed bar in Shanghai gained popularity among young people.
It features DJs who mix music with sociology lectures and offers cocktails named after academic theories.


Shocked tourists on Thai ferry watch luggage float away while enjoying deck views

China woman arrested for stealing fish bone waste to feed restaurant staff and customers

Meet the couple who just had a ‘billionaire wedding’, Netra Mantena and Vamsi Gadiraju – J.Lo and Donald Trump Jr were present too

Outrage over Korean saleswoman kneeling after scolded by customer for telling son not to run

Viral stories

Japan theme bar employs muscle-bound women to slap customers around for a price

A fitness-themed bar in Japan which employs muscle-bound waitresses is attracting customers from around the globe with its unusual services. Photo: SCMP composite/IG@muscle.girls666

All the waitresses are super fit and some of them are professional wrestlers. Photo: QQ.com

People from around the world pay to be slapped and kicked, all in the name of fun. Photo: QQ.com

Many customers enjoy being “princess-carried” by the bar’s powerful waiting staff. Photo: QQ.com

Abducted China boy who inspired anti-human trafficking film lands university place

A young man in China whose abduction as a child was the inspiration behind a hit anti-human trafficking film has secured a place in university. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

His father Sun Haiyang, above, spared no effort in finding his son who was kidnapped and sold to another family when he was four years old. Photo: 163.com

Sun’s story was the inspiration behind the anti-human trafficking movie, Dearest. Photo: 163.com

China student reports ‘control freak’ parents to police over spy camera in bedroom

An adult daughter in China has reported her parents to the police after they installed a surveillance camera in her bedroom. 
Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The young woman told police she had run away from home so that her parents could not report her missing. Photo: Weibo

It is not uncommon for parents in China to spy on their children. Photo: Shutterstock

China singing star Jackson Wang lauded for protecting baby at chaotic Malaysia event

China singing star Jackson Wang has been praised for his kindness and generosity after he stepped in to make sure a baby was not hurt during a chaotic public event in Malaysia.  Photo: SCMP composite/Xiaohongshu/IG@jacksonwang852g7

Jackson Wang was mobbed by fans, including a baby, at the event in Malaysia. Photo: Xiaohongshu

Jackson Wang performs at a concert in Los Angeles in 2022. Photo: YouTube/88rising

Stepmother’s unconditional love transforms lice-infected China girl into confident youngster

A sad and neglected little girl in China has undergone a remarkable change thanks to the love and care of her stepmother. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

As a neglected six-year-old, the little girl always had a frown on her face. Photo: Weibo

Changed days: little Laosi has blossomed into a happy and contented 10-year-old. Photo: Weibo

China tenant shocked by grisly past of home after stumbling upon TV crime show

A rental tenant in China was left shocked about the history of his flat when he stumbled upon a television crime show. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/163.com

The refrigerator in the kitchen was exactly the same as the one shown in the TV crime show. Photo: Weibo

Online sleuths quickly identified the renter’s flat as the one in the television crime show. Photo: Weibo

News

People & Culture

International clientele flock to Tokyo bar where ripped young women slap, kick and carry patrons around, all in the name of fun


A theme bar in Japan is attracting customers from around the world by employing muscle-bound waitresses to playfully inflict pain on customers.


Japan

Women and gender

Japan theme bar employs muscle-bound women to slap customers around for a price

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}International clientele flock to Tokyo bar where ripped young women slap, kick and carry patrons around, all in the name of fun

International clientele flock to Tokyo bar where ripped young women slap, kick and carry patrons around, all in the name of fun