Office chair racing is a fun, fairly common form of after-hours silliness in the office. And if anybody would take it to the next level, it would be the Japanese.

In 2010, Japanese office furniture brand Kokuyo held its first office chair grand prix in the Kirara Shopping Street in Kyoto. Named the ISU-1 Endurance Race, the event is part of Kokuyo’s CSR programme for Kyoto’s community.

The race saw teams of three competing to reach the highest number of laps completed on Kokuyo’s ISU-1 office chair. Today, it has become an iconic and anticipated annual event celebrated with much fanfare – think of cheerleaders and performances involving fluffy giant Japanese mascots.

It has also expanded out of Kyoto. To date, there are more than 50 races held across Japan, China and Taiwan, providing everyone from all walks of life, aged 18 and above, with a chance to bond with their colleagues and loved ones.

This year, Kokuyo has brought the event to Singapore (with Malaysia slated as the next stop). The inaugural Singapore ISU-1 race will be held on Saturday 4 November 2017 at the F1 Pit Building from 11am to 6pm.

 To participate one must be aged 18 and above and form a team of three. Send one member from each team to take part in a qualifying 30-metre race to determine which team goes into Category 1 (90-minute race) and Category 2 (60-minute race), with a maximum number of 30 teams per category. Kokuyo will provide one chair for each team and loan protective gear for free on the day.

 There will be one team winner per category. Winners will be crowned based on the highest number of laps per team completed within the time frame, tag-team mode. The winning Category 1 team will receive a $600 Scoot voucher and 3 x 3-month Triplefit memberships worth $1,800. The Category 2 winner will receive a $300 Scoot voucher and 3 x 3-month Triplefit memberships worth $1,800.

So, will we race you on a Kokuyo chair on November 4? The Indesign Media Asia team will be there! Visit ISU1.sg or email Kokuyo using the form below for more information.