New Delhi: Japan’s “dancing salaryman” works as a management consultant by day. But it is his dance videos – shot fuss-free, outside train stations, in empty parking lots, or in hotel rooms – that have made him a viral sensation online.
Popularly known as Tohru Dance, 60-year-old Toru Utsumi has been fascinated with dance since childhood. During kindergarten, he was in awe of the ballet dancers associated with his family’s church. In the 80s, he played guitar in a heavy metal band, and danced the twist on Tokyo’s streets. Later that decade, he became a regular in the city’s clubs and disco halls, when the country’s night life was thriving.
However, it was only in 2018, when he turned 52, that Utsumi finally took the plunge to pursue dance formally. He enrolled in dance classes – a popular social activity for middle aged men looking to stay fit – in addition to continuing his role as a consultant. In 2023, he began posting dance videos online, hoping the pressure to generate content daily would help him improve his dancing.
Today, Utsumi has over 640k followers on Instagram, with some videos garnering more than 7.5 million views. He shoots most of his videos in button down shirts, trousers, and formal coats. This corporate uniform, combined with his free-flowing improvised style, is a refreshing break from Japan’s rigid, straight-laced, work culture. For some, it’s a culture shock.
Popularity abroad, disapproval at home
Utsumi has a fervent following abroad. Some of his fans fly in from different countries just to dance with him, The New York Times reported. Many see him as an antidote to endless videos of war, climate change, and doom narratives about AI.
“Just a little short video of him dancing or vibing can totally change your mood and make you smile,” Italian lawyer Roberto Cimmino told the publication. Cimmino had danced with Utsumi outside a station in Tokyo, when he was visiting the country with his wife. “He’s like a joy machine”, Cimmino added.
But the reception at home has not always been positive.
“Probably because of Japanese culture itself,” Utsumi explained, in an interview with Japanese culture magazine, Yokomag. In the beginning, Utsumi often received negative comments critiquing his unique style. They said things like, “You’re not dancing the choreography the way it’s supposed to be danced,” or, “Are you making fun of that dance group?” Utsumi recalled.
Their logic, he claimed, was that “dancers practice properly and polish their routines to perfection, and then this goofy middle-aged man comes along and dances it casually, that’s disrespectful.”
In a culture where public order and quiet are of paramount importance, dancing on the streets can also be seen as a “nuisance”, Utsumi told The New York Times. “He has been told he is too sloppy, too undisciplined, too gimmicky and too old to dance,” the US-based paper added.
However, this criticism doesn’t bother Utsumi. To him, dance is more about self-expression and freedom, than rigid rules and propriety. “If everyone lived like this, life would be easier,” he explained. “But realistically, I don’t think many people can express themselves this way,” he added.
(Edited by Aakriti Handa)