Watch: Why this video of Japanese students doing a synchronized walk is going viral

‘Shuudan koudou’, which stands for “collective action” or “group movement”, is a group exercise that Japan’s Nippon Sport Science University has been doing for over 50 years.

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The students of Nippon Sport Science University practice three days a week, for five months to prepare for the performance.

The Japanese society, many times, has left people awestruck with its interesting urban culture and innovations. The latest to come from this island nation is the practice of ‘Shuudan koudou’, which means “collective action” or “group movement”.

‘Shuudan koudou’ is a group exercise that requires the participants to create various intersecting formations by doing synchronised group walks. These highly choreographed walks have been traditionally done by the students of Japan’s Nippon Sport Science University for over 50 years.

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It is held every year at the university’s annual exhibition. This tradition aims at demonstrating the athletic abilities and group precision of university students, who have claimed many accolades in sporting events, including Olympic medals.

Recently, an old video of a ‘Shuudan koudou’ performance is going viral on Twitter. The video, reportedly shot in 2014, was shared by Twitter user Richi Glez Dávila (@RichiGlezDavila) on November 6, 2022. Since then, it has garnered over 8.4 lakh views.

Y cuando te parece que ya has visto cosas increíbles, te encuentras con esto…’Estudiantes japoneses realizando cruces sincronizados’.

¡Que barbaridad!. Me parece absolutamente brutal, increíble e hipnótico, y no me quiero imaginar las veces que han podido entrenar algo así. pic.twitter.com/iKMu0PQQWH

— Richi Glez Dávila (@RichiGlezDavila) November 5, 2022

We can’t even get people to stand in line at Walmart without getting out of control.

— 𝐋 𝐮 𝐤 𝐞 (@LukeThisisnot) November 6, 2022

Ever seen their subways?

This is training to get on and off the train….

— Danny Hughes (@dthmath) November 6, 2022

That’s Tokyo Shibuya Crossing all day, everyday! pic.twitter.com/f6ahGNvjEj

— Cindy McWeAreDevo🌻 (@trixiehobitz) November 6, 2022

I call it “walking New York.” We just know which way to move to avoid each other in crowds, like a collective consciousness….

— Matt Murabro (@MattMurabro) November 6, 2022

I love synchronization. Drill teams, marching bands, dance groups, whomever. It’s all wonderful and fascinating to me. Props to anyone who practiced for hours and hours to do things like this so I might be entranced and clap like a little kid. 🤗

— Aoife Gordon 🌻 (@Aoife_221B) November 6, 2022

Talking about how the group walk mimicked the crowd’s movement at busy urban pedestrian crossings, a Twitter user wrote, “That’s Tokyo Shibuya Crossing all day, everyday!”. Another person wrote, “I call it “walking New York.” We just know which way to move to avoid each other in crowds, like a collective consciousness….”

According to Oddity Central, the students of Nippon Sport Science University practice three days a week, for five months to prepare for the performance. Culturally group exercises like marching or ‘shuudan koudou’ are considered the Japanese equivalent of cheerleading in the country.