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Perfectly in Step: Inside Japan’s Shudan Kodo Synchronized-Walking Tradition

The article profiles Shudan Kodo, a synchronized-walking tradition at Nippon Sport Science University in Yokohama. Over 80 students will perform on December 6 after four months of intensive training, executing forward, backward and sideways steps in precise unison. Coach Jiro Omi—who has led the squad for more than 30 years—says the practice teaches compassion through collective movement. Past events have drawn over 10,000 spectators and one video has more than 28 million views online.

09:27 PM, 11/28/2025Culture
Perfectly in Step: Inside Japan’s Shudan Kodo Synchronized-Walking Tradition

Shoes squeak in near-perfect unison as more than 80 students from Nippon Sport Science University move in tight formation across a Yokohama sports hall. They are rehearsing Shudan Kodo—literally “collective action”—a disciplined, synchronized-walking tradition that has captivated audiences for more than half a century.

The performers will present the routine on December 6 after an intensive four-month training program that drills them to step forward, backward and sideways in flawless synchrony. The effect is both visually striking and strangely compelling: rows of ordinary students moving as a single, precise unit.

Coach Jiro Omi, who has led the squad for more than 30 years, frames the practice as more than technique. “In a world where self-centeredness is common, I want people to learn compassion through moving as a group,” he said, emphasizing how shared discipline builds awareness of others.

“The people doing it are just ordinary university students. The routines are based on rules and principles, so anyone can learn them,” Omi added, explaining why the performances have attracted attention both in Japan and abroad.

Past shows have drawn crowds of more than 10,000 spectators, and one video of the routine has surpassed 28 million views online. Student Kodai Honda, 20, said the key lesson is simple: “It’s not just about yourself. You must align your movements with those around you and coordinate with others.”

Spectators often react with disbelief, Omi said—“shocked because they think there is no way they could do it themselves”—but the squad’s emphasis on clear rules and steady practice underlines that the spectacle is a learned skill, not a display of innate talent. That accessibility, combined with the visual precision of the performance, helps explain its enduring and global appeal.

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