The toughest new sport in Japan is street-racing office chairs

On a snowy day in the quiet town of Kumamoto, dozens of Japanese office workers in safety helmets and sneakers crouch low on their office chairs, eyes fixed on the starting line, ready to launch.

A horn sounds and they are off, using every muscle in their legs, kicking the ground to propel themselves backwards. People cheer in the background as the riders zoom through the streets and swerve around tight corners.

This is an office chair race – a growing sport in Japan where teams of three compete to finish as many laps around a circuit as possible in two hours, covering upwards of 20 kilometers as they go.

Tsuyoshi Tahara founded the inaugural race in 2010 in Kyotanabe city, Kyoto prefecture – inspired by a childhood teacher who once scolded him for playing with an office chair.

Since then, the sport has gone nationwide. Every year, the competition takes place in 10 cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Shizuoka – with even major corporations like Toyota sending teams to participate

“The biggest appeal is that anyone can participate. There are people working hard in offices all over the world, and we want them to step out of the office,” Tahara said.

The coveted prize? 90 kilograms (almost 200 pounds) of rice – which Tahara selected for its ubiquity across Japan, and ease of sharing. But there are some regional variations; first prize in Tokyo, for example, is 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of tuna.

The unusual event allows competitors to briefly return to their childhoods, and enjoy doing things they aren’t normally allowed to, said Tahara – a balm for Japan’s grueling work culture.

“People in Japan may work too much, but they can still become fully dedicated to something silly like this and enjoy it even as they grow older,” he said.

Like most office workers, Yasunori Miura spends long hours sitting at his desk. But in his spare time, he takes an office chair out for training.

“A common workout for me is doing 40 or 50 runs of 200 meters using a gym chair,” he said.

Miura trains four times a week on a heavier office chair to “put more load” on his legs, and strength-trains twice a week in the gym.

“Since we keep looping around the same course, you constantly run into other teams and racers,” he added.

“You have to overtake them, which requires both technique and physical strength.”

Racers must wear a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves. They are also required to use only non‑customized, commercially available chairs. Because these chairs are not designed for street racing, Miura said, some of the weaker models crack during the race.

Each route has its own level of difficulty. For example, Miura said the Shizuoka track is so bumpy that chair wheels tend to catch on the ground.

Miura said the winning teams usually cover about 20 to 25 kilometers (12 to 15 miles), which means each member covers about 8 kilometers (about five miles).

“You can’t win even if one person trains a lot and is very fast,” he said. “All three members have to be strong, so we make sure we train together as a team.”

He originally participated as a camera operator, until he saw his teammates on the podium and wanted to be up there too.

“It may look funny, but once you try it, you realize how serious and demanding it really is,” he said.

The chair-racing phenomenon shares many features that may be familiar to fans of Formula One. The races around Japan, like the car races, are known as Grands Prix.

Their advertising and website are dotted with images evoking speed, such as black-and-white checkered flags and sparks flying from chair wheels.

Tahara hopes to take it one step further – and one day bring the office chair race to a circuit course in Monaco, where the world’s rich and famous gather each year to watch F1 drivers race through the city streets.

Like F1, Tahara explained, racers must return to the pit to change players.

And like F1, the vehicle matters. Miura prefers lighter chairs with a small backrest; Tahara highlighted the benefits of chairs with adjustable seat heights, large wheels and shorter stems. Pointing to his own red chair, Tahara joked: “It might be like a Ferrari — even the color reflects that — and it runs very fast.”

Police officers, firefighters and even members of Japan’s military force have competed in events.

“It can move you, create empathy, and help you make friends around the world. People of all ages can join, and there is a kind of fun you may have never experienced before, so we hope many will participate,” he said.