Why are Gaijins so interested in Radio Taiso?

[Takechanpoo]

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Boring vid but 258 comments. Why? I and probably other Japanese dont get it.

[dimwit]

Well most of the comments seem to be for either newbie or neverhavebeens so the idea of people doing exercise in public places is not common. But the number of responses makes me think that it was mentioned in/ or linked to by some TV or newspaper in the States.

[Not Invented Here]

Radio Taiso is going to become equivalent to sushi, pokémon, and lubricant-dispensing anime sex robots all rolled into one giant cultural import phenomenon. You can bet on it.

Soon all around the world you'll see people stretching to broadcast instructions and light musical accompaniment.

Then you'll start seeing smug assholes who tell you that their radio taiso is more authentic and that they know everything about radio taiso because they're all into Japan and shit...

Before long, it will become so ingrained into the Western Common Monoculture that people will see it as common, and eventually just stop giving a shit altogether, and then we can move on to the next ridiculous thing your country will impose on us all because we're too curious to help ourselves.

Luckily, nobody really cares about radio taiso after all, it's just your imagination. You know what really fascinates the outside world? Natto. Get ready for the natto boom, because it's on it's way!

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Why? I and probably other Japanese dont get it.

I'm not surprised. It has to do with our unique Western culture. You are Japanese, so you can't understand.

[Mike Oxlong]

How did the exercises start and what are their origins?

The concept's roots are in the United States.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. sponsored 15-minute radio broadcasts daily for exercise accompanied by piano in the 1920s in six cities, including New York and Washington, according to the kampo book on the history of the workouts.

Around that time, the average Japanese lived until sometime in their 40s, and many died of infectious disease and tuberculosis, which made the insurance business unstable.

Looking for ways to improve the nation's health, two kampo employees visited the American insurer and brought back examples of the radio exercise to start similar workouts in the mid-1920s.

[Christoff]

I'm not surprised. It has to do with our unique Western culture. You are Japanese, so you can't understand.

It is times like this that I wait and/ or look for robpongi interjection...