What stands out most in a Sakurazaka46 performance is the scale — 33 members singing and dancing, often perfectly in sync.

The large ensemble’s tightly choreographed unity isn’t just a spectacle, it’s the statement the group wants to make about themselves and the larger world of Japanese idols.

“I think a lot of groups in the country right now emphasize the number of members in the group, like us. We don’t have backup dancers. It’s just all of us,” says Ten Yamasaki, 19, from Sony Music Japan’s offices in Ichigaya. She’s joined by fellow Sakurazaka46 members Karin Fujiyoshi, Hono Tamura, Hikaru Morita and Rena Moriya, who have all come to the meeting room wearing matching pale green uniforms for a day of international promo.