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 Soichiro Kakimoto and 30 other young businessmen as they gear up for their weekend routine: cheerleading.
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“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 malls and other venues to entertain crowds.
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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.