In 2025, the three-member unit Perfume celebrates the 20th anniversary of their major label debut. With over 25 years of activity since forming in 2000 under their current lineup, their longevity—without a single hiatus or member change—is a rare feat among female idol groups. Today, Perfume regularly tours outside Japan, expanding their global reach. Yet their origins lie in Japan’s underground scene of local and live-performance-based idols.

Perfume’s story can be traced back to the influence of SPEED, as explored in the first installment of this series. When SPEED debuted in 1996 from Okinawa, its members were only 12 to 15 years old. Watching these dancing and singing teenage girls become a social phenomenon inspired a younger generation of girls to dream of performing on stage. Moreover, SPEED’s rise brought attention to their training ground—Okinawa Actors School—sparking a wave of similar talent schools across Japan and giving children a structured path into entertainment. With Morning Musume’s explosive success following SPEED, these schools became even more central to nurturing aspiring idols at increasingly younger ages.

Perfume was born out of this environment. The group was formed by students at Actors School Hiroshima (ASH), affiliated with a local Hiroshima TV station. While Perfume ‘s formation was long believed to be in 2000, it was later confirmed that they actually came together in 1999—a small oversight that underscores how the group initially began simply as friends forming a school-based unit. Inspired by SPEED, they honed their skills through community events and local performances, eventually releasing their first single “OMAJINAI★Perori” in 2002 on the school’s own label. Around this time, they caught the attention of major Tokyo entertainment agency AMUSE—founded by the former manager of 1970s national idol group Candies, also mentioned in the first installment of this series.

At the time, AMUSE was scouting raw talent from across Japan and developing new acts under its BEE-HIVE project, including groups like BOYSTYLE (2001–2007) and Buzy (1998–2006). Perfume moved to Tokyo and made their nationwide debut in 2003 with the single “Sweet Donuts.” This release marked the start of their long-standing collaboration with producer Yasutaka Nakata. Known for his unit capsule (now stylized as CAPSULE), Nakata’s early work focused on polished pop, but he soon began incorporating elements of French electro and house—drawing from artists like Daft Punk and Justice—and leaned into a bass-heavy, club-friendly sound. This sonic evolution became the foundation of Perfume’s dance-music aesthetic, helping shape their retro-futuristic, stylish world.

In 2005, Perfume made their major-label debut with the single “Linear Motor Girl,” embracing the concept of “near-future technopop idols” with their distinct Auto-Tuned vocals. As their BEE-HIVE peers disbanded, it was their 2007 breakout hit “Polyrhythm”—evocative of British electronic group Underworld—that catapulted them to fame.

One cannot discuss Perfume e’s success without acknowledging its synergy with Japan’s evolving digital landscape. YouTube, launched in 2005, was starting to gain traction, and Japan’s Nico Nico Douga video-sharing platform debuted in 2006. Before their breakout, Perfume’s songs were featured in fan-made mashup videos—often combined with visuals from the idol-training game THE iDOLM@STER—which helped expand their reach. Around the same time, the first version of the Vocaloid software Hatsune Miku was released in 2007, aligning with growing interest in processed vocal aesthetics. These developments, alongside Nakata’s high-quality production and the trio’s fresh charisma, helped Perfume rise through grassroots fandom even without major media backing—a phenomenon made possible by the unique timing of the digital age.

Their breakout also coincided with a broader trend in J-Pop toward electro-pop and house-infused tracks led by female vocalists, such as Sweet Vacation and Genki Rockets. The production company D-topia, featured in the previous installment for launching Harenchi Punch, helped usher in this wave within the idol context. Harenchi Punch rebranded as 80_pan during the new rave boom and even released music by UK act Shitdisco. D-topia also nurtured solo idols like Aira Mitsuki and Saori@destiny, whose “post- Perfume” sounds garnered cult followings. Notably, Kenta Matsukuma—later founder of SCRAMBLES—and Junnosuke Watanabe—future founder of WACK—both began their careers at D-topia. Their first artist, Pour Lui, debuted in 2009 with “Kagirareta Jikan No Nakade☆,” a vocoder-tinged electro-pop track that reflected the era’s trends. Creators like Kissa Sasaki, who also produced for femme fatale, Ru-ruru and Kyururintteshitemite, continue to channel this girly electro-pop spirit into the modern scene.

Meanwhile, Yasutaka Nakata—the architect of Perfume’s signature sound—has continued to evolve musically through CAPSULE and solo work. In 2011, he began producing for pop icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, contributing significantly to the global rise of Japan’s “KAWAII culture.” Although Nakata has collaborated with numerous female artists including Charli XCX and Ado, idol-oriented tracks have been rare—CY8ER’s “Renai Reality Sho” (2019) being a rare example. However, in early 2025, he produced “Kawaii The Magic” for FRUITS ZIPPER, another act under ASOBISYSTEM, signaling a possible cyclical return of trends. FRUITS ZIPPER has even covered CAPSULE’s “Sugarless GiRL.”

ASH, Perfume’s alma mater, has since become a legendary training ground, producing top idols such as Riho Sayashi (ex-Morning Musume), SU-METAL (BABYMETAL), Riko Ishino (ex-IdoRenaissance), Anna Murashige (ex-HKT48), Anna Yamamoto (=LOVE), Ruru Dambara (Juice=Juice), Airi Taniguchi (Sakurazaka46), and Chiho Ishida (STU48). Throughout the 2010s and beyond, ASH has remained a major source of talent, deeply shaping the modern idol landscape.

Writer：Koji Dejima
Japanese music writer. Editor-in-Chief of the Tower Records Japan magazine “bounce”.