Japanese salarymen inspire with cheerleading acrobatics

TOKYO – It is a cold, wet morning and frigid air is seeping through the open doors of a college gymnasium in Tokyo. But that does not seem to worry Mr Soichiro Kakimoto and 30 other young salarymen as they gear up for their weekend routine: cheerleading.

“Smile when times are tough!” shouts a tall man with an eager smile. The others – all dressed in dark suits and ties – pump their fists and jam to the upbeat music that fills the space.

Their chants echo through the gymnasium. “Yes, you can! You can definitely do it! Go, Japan! Go, Japan!”

The young men are all about spreading cheer through their eye-popping acrobatic performances, volunteering their weekends at shopping centres and other venues to entertain crowds.

Calling themselves Cheer Re-Man’s – a mash-up of “cheerleading” and “salaryman” – the group, formed in 2023, is made up of alumni from the elite Waseda University’s male cheerleading squad.

Their day jobs range from those in real estate sales to marketing, and they balance their professional lives with their passion for cheerleading. For practice, the squad often borrows half the gym from a female college cheerleading team in exchange for biscuits.

From Mondays to Fridays, Mr Kakimoto is the quintessential Japanese salaryman, commuting in crowded trains, working late and going out drinking with colleagues, wearing the stretchy navy Uniqlo suit that doubles as his cheerleading uniform.

“On weekdays, I use my brain, and on weekends, I use my body. Even if one isn’t well, the other might be, and that’s contributing to my overall mental health,” says the 23-year-old, who works at a software development company.

“If we Japanese salarymen can do what we’re passionate about, then everyone else can keep chasing their dreams too.”

The unusual sight of Japanese corporate warriors