ATARASHII GAKKO!, J-pop’s Rebel Schoolgirls, Will Play Together Until They Are “Grandmas”

It’s a long way from Tokyo, Japan to the Arts District of Culver City, CA, but the four members of ATARASHII GAKKO! (their name translates to “new school”) feel at home at their company’s new West Coast outpost: a small, white building tucked away on a side street. “We arrived in LA yesterday,” says SUZUKA, an unfinished In-N-Out drink sweating on the coffee table in front of her. “There’s a sense of comfort being back, and I feel relaxed here.” During the pandemic, the four Tokyo-based women spent two-and-a-half months living in Los Angeles. While there, they worked on songs for Snacktime! their first EP under their US label 88rising. SUZUKA, the group’s lead vocalist, is joined by RIN, the hip-hop-phile and amateur chef; KANON, the youngest member at 24; and MIZYU, with her signature twin-tail hairstyle. AG, as they refer to themselves, have arrived in LA via Seattle after a rousing set at Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival. Their electric live act, which sometimes borders on performance art, is one of the main reasons for their global success. It helped carry them to Coachella in 2024 and through a sold-out 13-city North American tour. “As we perform,” RIN notes, “I always noti...