Photo essay: Japan's macho cheerleaders fight to save a century-old tradition

A campaign is afoot for the practice to be registered as part of the country's intangible cultural heritage

This picture taken on May 13, 2023 shows a member of the Meiji University "Oendan" cheering during a university baseball game at Meiji Jingu Baseball Park in Tokyo. They're drenched in sweat, their hands bloodied from clapping, and their voices hoarse from shouting -- meet Japan's predominantly male and unashamedly macho "leadership section" cheerleaders. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP) / To go with "Japan-culture-society-gender", FEATURE by Tomohiro OSAKI

Women are increasingly joining the ranks of the previously all-male groups

The groups are still predominantly male and cheerleaders are unashamedly macho

Members of the Kokugakuin University 'oendan' during a competition between university cheerleading squads in Tokyo

Members of the Gakushuin University 'oendan'

A supervisor from the Tokai University 'oendan', right, speaking during a Tokyo competition between university cheerleading squads

Members of the Toyo University 'oendan' competing

The Rissho University 'oendan' during a competition

Taiga Kobayashi, a member of the Meiji University 'oendan', during a warm-up workout before clapping practice at the campus in Tokyo

Meiji University 'oendan' whip up spectators during a university baseball game at Meiji Jingu Baseball Park in Tokyo

The groups tend to perform alongside brass bands and American-style cheerleaders, mostly female

The cheerleaders are part of a century-old tradition that some say faces an existential crisis, with fewer students showing an interest in the hardcore art form

Dressed in old-fashioned school-style uniforms, the cheering groups are a mass of black at college baseball games as they chant, bang taiko drums and thrust their fists in rigid, martial moves

A campaign is under way for Japan's traditional 'oendan' cheering groups to be registered as part of the country's intangible cultural heritage

The label is awarded by Japan's culture minister to activities with unique importance, such as calligraphy and traditional sake brewing

Campaigners say the recognition would increase the squads' prestige and encourage new recruits

One survey says about a dozen groups have disappeared over a period of 15 years

Women recruits, however, are breathing new life into struggling squads

Drenched in sweat, their hands bloodied from clapping and their voices hoarse from shouting – meet Japan's predominantly male and unashamedly macho “leadership section” cheerleaders.

The cheerleaders are part of a century-old tradition that some fear faces an existential crisis, with fewer students showing an interest in the hardcore art form.

But now there is a campaign for the squads and their counterparts in Japan's traditional “oendan” cheering groups to be registered as part of the country's intangible cultural heritage.

The “leadership section” cheerleaders are a formidable sight. Dressed in old-fashioned school-style uniforms, they are a mass of black at college baseball games as they chant, bang taiko drums and thrust their fists in rigid, martial moves.

Cheering members of the Meiji University 'oendan' during a university baseball game at Meiji Jingu Baseball Park in Tokyo. AFP

“We give it our all to the point of ridiculousness, and that's what makes us so cool,” said Taisuke Ono, 21, a member of a squad at Tokyo's Waseda University.

“Even if we're trailing by 10 points and there's almost no chance of a comeback, we somehow manage to convince ourselves we can still win.”

Squads like Ono's typically perform alongside brass bands and American-style, mostly female, cheerleaders – a triumvirate known as “oendan” or “rooters”.

But the ranks of the male-dominated “leadership sections” have shrunk at a pace that far outstrips their counterparts, with about a dozen groups having disappeared in a period of 15 years, according to one survey.

Pandemic-era bans on shouting and restrictions on crowds only deepened the malaise.

Alarmed by the situation, dozens of universities joined forces last year in a campaign to win designation of the tradition as an “intangible cultural property”.

The label is awarded by Japan's culture minister to activities seen as having unique importance, such as calligraphy and traditional sake brewing.

Campaigners say the recognition would increase the squads' prestige and encourage new recruits, while some activities that have obtained the distinction in the past have been awarded government subsidies.

“We're now at a phase where the culture is about to vanish,” said Jun Tochimoto, who is leading the campaign.

“At the heart of what these cheerleaders do is the idea that they're training and improving themselves through the art of cheering – that's the mindset we hope will be preserved,” he said.

Members of the Meiji University 'oendan' cheering group work out before hand-clapping practice on campus in Tokyo. AFP

The decline began in earnest several decades ago, with potential recruits scared off by the macho image and rumours of hazing.

A holdover from Japan's Meiji period (1868-1912) counterculture, the squads are said to have been infused with a military style by students who were demobilised after the Second World War.

A draconian hierarchy prevailed in postwar years, with senior-year students deified as the emperor and freshmen roughed up as slaves, said Hiroshi Imazu, 76, a 1970 graduate of Tokyo's Chuo University.

They were sometimes even expected to battle left-wing students whose activism paralysed some universities, the former squad member said.

“We were basically a bunch of students who felt proud that the reputation of our university was on our shoulders,” Mr Imazu said.

That school pride occasionally led to full-on skirmishes between swaggering cheerleaders from rival universities.

Those historical behaviours have created persistent “negative perceptions” about the squads, a report by an alumni group said in 2018.

But most universities now brook no such violence, and in recent decades there has been a change many once thought impossible – women recruits.

Today, women dressed in the black uniforms – called “gakuran” – perform alongside male teammates, sometimes as group leaders.

Women members of the formerly all-male groups are known as 'gakuran'. AFP

“I didn't want to blindly accept social expectations about how women should live … and I wanted to see how far I could go in this male-centric community,” said Kazuha Nagahara, 22, of Tokai University.

Women are “breathing new life” into struggling squads, she said.

“I think it's providing a path for their survival.”

Violence might no longer be acceptable, but asceticism and stamina remain core values for the groups.

At Tokyo's Meiji University, junior cheerleaders spend so many hours bashing their hands together to perfect their clapping, they can come away with bloodied palms.

And training is supervised by glaring seniors who harangue and shout at their teammates, although their stern demeanour gives way to smiles and bows when talking to spectators and visitors.

The groups are motivated by the spirit of “annihilate yourself, serve others”, said Yasunori Sugaya, 50, a former Meiji squad member who now coaches the group.

It is an ethos passed down to current Meiji captain Motomichi Tanaka, 21, and his contemporaries.

At a recent baseball match, he stood to attention throughout a downpour that stopped play, rallying to keep spirits up among fans.

“Part of me does fantasise about having a more fun, leisurely campus life,” Tanaka said with a chuckle.

But unlike other sports, where physique and natural talent are a big factor, “anyone who wants to do their best and be cool can be us”, he said.

“Anybody can be a star … I'm proud of what I do.”