On the same day Kimi Antonelli sealed victory at the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest F1 championship leader, a less high-profile race was underway in Kyotanabe, Kyoto Prefecture. No engines, no steering wheels: the ISU-1 Grand Prix is all about racing office chairs. Competing in teams of three, racers use those chairs to complete as many laps as possible over two hours.
10/21、愛知県一宮市で開催のISU-1GP2023行って来ました。
全国38チームが参戦‼️#isu1 #いすレース #2時間耐久#大接戦 pic.twitter.com/t0IbTn02ff— 田原剛@isu1 (@tmm244) October 21, 2023
Chasing Rice in Racing Office Chairs
It might seem wacky and not so serious, but competitors are dedicated to putting in hours of training. According to Yasunori Miura, a participant in the race, the winning teams usually cover somewhere between 15 and 20 kilometers in the two hours. He told CNN he trains with an office chair four times a week, while also hitting the gym twice-weekly.
Though seen as a race for office workers, the competition is open to people from any kind of profession. The prize for the winners in Kyotanabe is 90 kilograms of rice, selected for its ubiquity across Japan and ease of sharing. However, it can be different in other regions. In Tokyo, for instance, the winners receive 5 kilograms of tuna.
Tsuyoshi Tahara with local Kumamoto mascot Toppamaru | Image via X @tmm244
Introducing the Man Behind the Race: Tsuyoshi Tahara
The endurance race is the brainchild of Tsuyoshi Tahara, who hopes competitors can briefly return to their childhoods. He was inspired to start the race after being scolded by a teacher for playing with a chair. In an interview with CNN, he said, “People in Japan may work too much, but they still can become fully dedicated to something silly like this and enjoy it even as they grow older.”
The first race took place in Kyotanabe in 2010. Competitions are now held at more than 20 locations nationwide, including Tokyo, Hokkaido and Shizuoka. In the future, Tahara would like to bring the event abroad. “One of my dreams is to take part when ISU-1 is held in Monaco, the sacred place of F1, and then pass it on to the next generation,” he said.
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Updated On March 31, 2026
