Get fit the Japanese way.
We’re about a week into 2018 which means there’s a lot of people out there trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, exercising can be pretty boring which means a lot of times people end up sitting on the couch and watching TV instead of following through with their New Year’s resolution to get rid of that spare tire around their waist. However, if you’re one of these persons, then you’re in the right place because today we’re going to be looking at three wacky Japanese alternatives to traditional boring exercise routines. These goofy dances and workouts are sure to get you sweating and burning off those extra pounds in no time. They’ll also make anybody that sees you doing them laugh uncontrollably… so just keep that in mind.
3. The Butt Detective Dance
Burn calories to the sound of farts and butt puns.
Oshiri Tantei (おしりたんてい), or as it is known in English Butt Detective, is a series of children’s books about a witty and chivalrous detective extraordinaire that has a butt for a face. Published by Popler, this popular series of books has sold over 1.5 million copies. Last year, Toei Animation, the company that produces popular anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball and countless others, revealed that they were working on an anime adaptation of the books and released a three-minute trailer.
Check out the preview below (English subtitles available).
Of course, being that it’s a series about a detective with a butt for a face, there’s plenty of butt jokes and potty humor. For example, Oshiri Tantei‘s catch phrase is “Hmmm… I smell a case.” Also, he has the ability to fart out his, let’s say “mouth.”
In any case, muck like countless other children’s series and characters, Oshiri Tantei has its own song and dance routine to go along with it. Yes, it may look a bit silly but it’s still exercise. For best results, you should do the Butt Detective dance everyday after your morning BM.
By the way, if you want even more Oshiri Tantei content, then you can watch a five-minute episode below. And don’t worry, there’s more Oshiri Tantei on the way because this May Japan’s national public broadcaster NHK will begin airing an Oshiri Tantei series on NHK E which is a sister channel of the main NHK channel that specializes in educational content.
2. Muscle Calisthenics
Muscle, muscle, muscle. It’s all about the muscle.
Next up we have Muscle Calisthenics (Kinniku Taisō). If you’re familiar with the popular anime Yo-kai Watch, then you were probably reminded of it while watching this video because Muscle Calisthenics is a parody of that show’s ending sequence. However, Muscle Calisthenics is also part of an April Fool’s gag that the Japanese internet service provider GMO came up with in 2015. The video above was made to promote a fake product called the “Muscle Watch” (Kinniku Watch). The Muscle Watch is a fake wearable device that promised to allow people to locate muscular individuals in their area (think radar for buff people). The idea behind this silly product is that muscle begets muscle, so by finding other ripped individuals in your area via the Muscle Watch your muscle gaining abilities will be amplified. The Muscle Watch also had a compartment for protein, just in case you find yourself in an emergency situation without access to your precious protein.
Doing “Muscle Calisthenics” probably won’t turn you into a ripped macho man like the shirtless guys in the video, but Muscle Calisthenics definitely seems like a good way to pump yourself up before you pump iron at the gym. For best results, do Muscle Calisthenics mostly naked and in front of a mirror.
1. The Kasugaiger Chuō Line Dance
Work out like a super hero.
Kasugai is a city in Aichi Prefecture and Kasugaiger is that city’s “hero.” Basically, Kasugaiger is a Power Rangers/Super Sentai-style hero character that serves as pseudo-mascot for the city. As you can see in the video, he wears a Power Rangers inspired helmet and a suit. This is because he is a hero that as his profile puts is, “cheers on salarymen (businessmen).”
The video is for a very catchy and high-energy song about the Kasugai City branch of the JR Chuō Main Line (Chuō Honsen), a railway that runs from Aichi all the way to Tokyo.
Between that infectious melody which just makes you want to get up and dance and all that intense arm pumping, this dance will definitely leave your muscles burning. For best results, do the Kasugaiger Chuō Line dance at your local train station while wearing a suit and helmet. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and avoid getting arrested.
Were these three ridiculous ways of losing weight not enough? Then why not check out the first part of this series below.
3 Wacky Japanese Workouts (Videos)
Image: きんにく体操第一 / 筋肉ウォッチ by GMOとくとくBB (GMO Tokutoku BB YouTube Channel)
