
Athletes devote their lives to fully unleashing the potential of their bodies and pushing the limits of how far they can go every single day. But what happens when top-performing athletes take something as mundane as shaving seriously? We’re not sure if this is something normal people even wonder about, but Japanese electronics maker Philips already has the answer for us.
To promote of its electric shavers, Philips came up with the “Extreme Shaving Tournament” featuring a number of top athletes from Japan. And guess what? The top shaver gets to shave in outer space!
- Extreme Shaving
Philips ran the creative campaign to celebrate the release of its flagship electric shaver model “9ooo series”. On September 19, three Extreme Shaving videos were released, each featuring a different athlete. By watching them online, viewers can vote for their favorite and the winner will get to go to outer space to shave with Philips’ purportedly remarkable shaver.
- The challengers
The first BMX athlete in Japan – Kotaro Tanaka
Winner of the 2013 Slacklining World Championship – Toru Osugi
Award recipient at the International Aerobic Gymnastic Championship – Yuta Uematsu
- The voting process
The three athletes are shown performing their respective sports while shaving – hence the ‘extreme shaving’ – and there will be 3 rounds of voting. The first round will end on October 24, with one of the three aforementioned athletes going on to the finals. From October 31 to December 5, another three athletes’ videos will be uploaded and again the winner of this round will go on to the final to battle it out.
- It’s all about the shaver!
While the athletes’ performances are already spectacular, let us take a second to also appreciate the electric shavers here. While this writer has never used one before in her life, she does find it genuinely fascinating that the shavers are precise and safe enough to use in this way without any of the athletes slicing their faces off!
By the way, my personal favorite is aerobic gymnast Yuta Uematsu’s video. I don’t think I have ever seen someone so elegant, graceful and at the same time exuding manliness all while prancing around and shaving at the same time. Who will you vote for?
Source/video: Philips, YouTube
▼ Kotaro Tanaka
▼ Toru Osugi
▼ Yuta Uematsu
[ Read in Japanese ]

When it comes to blending art and sport, Japanese athletes represent
Downloads of 39-year-old Guns N’ Roses song increase 12,166 percent thanks to Gundam
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Japan manners debate: Is it OK to put a Mister Donut donut back on the shelf after taking it?
Nephew receives SD card after his uncle passes away, finds treasure trove of gems from the past
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Family Mart releases huge range of cute sweets for Cat Day in Japan
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
Here comes a new katsudon: ice cream katsudon?!?
The Ghibli theme park’s food looks good enough to be a reason to visit all by itself【Photos】
A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】
Cherry blossom forecasts map shows Japan’s OTHER sakura season is starting right now
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
Japanese women sound off on their minimum height requirements for a husband【Survey】
Huge Evangelion Unit-01 head appearing in lights in Japan to celebrate anime’s 30th anniversary
Kyoto planning surprise late-night inspections of Airbnb-style rentals to fight overtourism
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Leave a Reply