Competitors judged on technical and artistic quality of their spacing out.

On Sunday, roughly 100 competitors assembled at the ARK Karajan plaza in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills entertainment complex. At precisely 2:30, the organizers of the Tokyo Bouttosuru Competition gave the order to begin, and the participants all immediately launched into…doing nothing at all.

Don’t mistake their lack of movement for a lack of interest, though. Each and every one of those motionless competitors was vying to win, because the winner of the Tokyo Bouttosuru Competition, which translates to the Tokyo Space-out Competition, is the person who does the least once the competition starts.

▼ Video of the competition

This was the second iteration of what’s become an annual event, in which contestants dress in outfits reflecting their profession or some other aspect of their lifestyle, take a seat, and space out for 90 minutes. Like figure skating, competitive spacing out is judged on both technical and artistic merits, with a team of judges evaluating the competitors based on both the stability of their heart rate and their aesthetics. Use of props is allowed, with one especially dedicated spacer-out bringing an ice cream bar which she held in her hand as it melted while still retaining the aura of motionless mental vacancy that judges look for.

Entrants can compete as individuals or as part of a team, with this year’s competition drawing 528 applicants from which a total of 90 competitors, comprising 60 groups, were selected to compete.

Despite the laid-back vibe, the tournament organizers make it very clear that spacing out is distinct from sleeping. As a matter of fact, seemingly the only iron-clad rule of the Space-out tournament is that sleeping is grounds for disqualification, with a soccer-like system of yellow and red cards and violators expelled from the competition, as seen at the point in the video cued here.

The competition is live-streamed on video service Niconico and sponsored by wellness app Piece, with the winning team awarded a trip to Mie Prefecture’s Ise Shima region, known for its beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere (this year’s winners are shown at the point cued in the video below).

With this year’s competition concluded, it’s time to start getting ready for the next one, so remember, the next time your boss or teacher catches you staring off into space in the office or classroom, you can honestly tell them you’re not being lazy, you’re just in training for Tokyo Space-out Competition 2025.

Source: PR Times, Jiji
Images: PR Times
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