These Middle-Aged Japanese Men Started Dancing To Show Off Their Town And Now They’re TikTok Icons
A group of four middle-aged Japanese men encouraging people to visit their town through dancing videos have become TikTok’s latest sensation.
A group of four middle-aged Japanese men encouraging people to visit their town through dancing videos have become TikTok’s latest sensation.
The group, called ojiqun, a slang word combining the Japanese words for “old men” and “heartthrob”, have amassed more than 30,000 followers since their first video on February.
Dressed in different color belly warmers, the four men dance around different parts of their town, Wake in Japan’s Okoyama region.
The iconic group dances to famous English and Japanese pop songs, including famous English-speaking artist such as Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, and Rihanna.
“We hope to encourage people to come to Wake, either as tourists or as new residents,” one member of the group, 52-year-old Takumi Shirase, told AFP.
The rural town in western Japan has suffered from a dwindling population. With less that 14,000 residents, schools and shopping centers have closed down while many festivals have been canceled.
