Japanese team wins Tainan office chair race with 160 laps, donates prize to Taiwan in tear-jerking moment

▲ The "Office Chair Race," relocated from Japan to Zhengxing Street in Tainan, was truly exciting and fun to watch!(Video footage shot by reporter Hong Gang, edited jointly by the Instant News Team)

Reported and photographed by reporters Lin Yuling and Hong Gang / Tainan

For the first time ever moving overseas from its origins in Kyoto, Japan, the “Office Chair Race” (an office chair sliding speed rally competition) was held on April 24 on Zhengxing Street in Tainan, where the street was closed off for the event. In the two-hour long finals relay, teammates encouraged one another, persevering through falls and lost wheels until the very end, sparking continuous cheers from the passionate crowd. At the awards ceremony, the Taiwanese teams that took second and third place chose to donate their prizes for a charity auction to aid victims of the Kumamoto earthquake. The championship was claimed by the Japanese team “KOKUYO,” who achieved “160 laps,” but they made the surprise decision to give their prize to a Taiwanese team, sharing a touching rationale that moved everyone and once again highlighted the deep bond between Taiwan and Japan.

▲ The Japanese team “KOKUYO” claimed the championship, proudly holding up their prize—an office chair worth NT$60,000!(Photo by reporter Lin Yuling)

The Office Chair Race (office chair speed rally), originated in Kyotanabe City, Kyoto, Japan. It began as a local shopping street's effort to revive sluggish sales, but the event became a massive hit. After seven consecutive years of success, it expanded across Japan. This marked the first time the competition was held overseas, and its debut international location was Zhengxing Street in Tainan. At the opening, Tainan Mayor Lai Qingde was present to fire the starting gun and deliver a speech.

It’s understood that the event’s host, the shop “Rainbow is Here,” had previously formed a group called “Zhengxing Gang” and traveled to Japan to participate and gain experience. Japanese organizer Mr. Tahara also visited Tainan to scout the location before deciding to close off the street from Zhengxing to Zhongzheng Road for the race.Participants were required to wear protective gear such as elbow pads, knee pads, and helmets, and use their feet to slide along in office chairs. Overcoming fatigue and tire issues, the goal was to complete as many laps as possible within the time limit to win.

▲ Aside from testing participants’ stamina and patience, the relay race also challenged the teamwork and coordination between teammates during handoffs!(Photo by reporter Lin Yuling)

▲ Some racers gave it their all, while others stayed cool and relaxed. Someone even brought out their grandpa’s office chair?(laughs)

The morning session featured a “30-meter Individual Fun Race” with 37 participants. Racers went all out with creative costumes and office chair designs. One participant dressed as a Minion, prompting netizens to joke:“Aren’t Minions hot?” “This Minion doesn’t look very agile XD”. One particularly eye-catching racer wore a large sign that read “Seeking Girlfriend,” and even slowed down his pace on purpose. Organizers jokingly scolded him: “That’s cheating!”

The afternoon sessions—the “1-Hour Consolation Rally” and the “2-Hour Final Rally”—were the main events testing teamwork, stamina, and endurance, with a total of 99 teams taking part. Participants circled around the stage area on footpaths, with teammates supporting and taking turns to push each other forward. Everyone gave their all, and their determination was truly admirable. However, some racers experienced exhaustion, falls, or tire malfunctions, drawing loud cheers, screams, and encouragement from the audience.

The two-hour-long final relay for the top teams started at 3 p.m. and ended around 5 p.m. As the countdown finished, all participating teams excitedly lifted their office chairs and cheered loudly, with the electric atmosphere energizing the entire Zhengxing Street.

▲ A Japanese team (front) and a Taiwanese team (back) raced neck-and-neck, eventually taking first and second place respectively.(Photo by reporter Lin Yuling)

In the finals, the third-place winner was Team 97, “Ichinohe Support Group,” with 136 laps. The second-place spot went to Team 61, “Tainan Homestay Association,” with 139 laps. The championship was claimed by the Japanese “KOKUYO” team with 160 laps, earning praise for “leaving everyone else far behind—no one could even see their taillights!”

The prize included high-value office chairs worth tens of thousands of dollars, but the awards ceremony took an unexpectedly emotional turn. The Taiwanese teams that secured second and third place both stated they wanted to donate their prizes for a live charity auction, with all proceeds going to the Kumamoto earthquake relief. The items were successfully auctioned for NT$13,000 and NT$33,000 respectively.

▲ When the Japanese team won the championship, they joyfully held up one of their prizes—a 30-kilogram bag of rice.

The winning KOKUYO team received an office chair worth NT$60,000, a 3-meter fabric roll, and 30 kilograms of rice. They immediately decided to give the prizes to Taiwanese Team 25, “Gua Ji Bao Zou _ Yan Hong Engineering.” This team consisted of three young men dressed as characters from Dragon Ball—specifically in “Kamehameha” and “Goku” outfits. The KOKUYO team explained:One of their members suffered a leg cramp midway and couldn't continue, leaving only two teammates to take turns pushing.Still, they gave it their all and managed to complete the full two-hour race with an impressive 132 laps, demonstrating exceptional willpower, stamina, and teamwork—outshining more than 40 other teams.“If their teammate hadn’t had to drop out due to injury, they definitely would have won the championship.”

▲ The trio dressed as Dragon Ball characters—one member had to withdraw due to a leg cramp, but the remaining two showed remarkable determination and teamwork to achieve 132 laps.

▲ The Japanese champions handed their prizes over to Taiwan’s Dragon Ball team on the spot, showing their respect for the team’s spirit!(That bag of rice looks extremely heavy.)

After the KOKUYO team announced their reason, the entire audience erupted into loud cheers, touched by the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.They were also moved by how attentively the Japanese team observed and honored the Taiwanese participants.The event concluded successfully with all prize-winning teams from the consolation and finals rounds popping champagne in celebration. Organizers also announced that the “Office Chair Racing Competition” is scheduled to move to Taipei in June—stay tuned for more updates.

▲ The event wrapped up with everyone celebrating with champagne, and an announcement that the next race will be held in Taipei in June!(Photo by reporter Lin Yuling)

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