When the Nippon Budokan was built in 1964, its architects probably never envisaged it one day resembling a massive nightclub filled with hundreds of laser beams in every shade of neon as three women in lightup minidresses danced like finely tuned robots to the sound of the bassiest bombast imaginable. But this is exactly what Tokyo witnessed last week when the venerable venue hosted four concerts by chart-topping J-pop trio Perfume.
Five hours before the May 11 show, Ayaka Nishiwaki (better known as A-Chan, pronounced "ah-chan"), Ayano Omoto (Nocchi) and Yuka Kashino (Kashiyuka) are giving The Japan Times their first ever — and so far only — sit-down interview with an English-language publication.
Though they are known for their pristinely crafted image, the three 23-year-olds greet me in casual wear, minimal makeup and, in A-chan's case, one of those white surgical masks you wear if you have hay fever or a cold.
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