Rajio Taiso

Rajio Taiso are morning calisthenics routines done while music is playing, popular in Japan and other Asian countries. Rajio Taiso was introduced in Japan 1928, after employees visiting from Japan in the United States heard the radio broadcast calisthenics programs that were airing during the time. The workers brought a few samples of the broadcasts from the US back to Japan in order to have a similar practice. The exercises were adopted and used to improve the health of soldiers both in and out of Japan. These soldiers introduced Rajio Taiso to the various countries Japan colonized, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Rajio Taiso is still popular in Mainland China and Taiwan to this day. In Japan, you can enjoy participating in Rajio Taiso every day, simply by turning on the radio. NHK provides daily broadcasts early in the morning for anyone who would like to participate in the morning exercises.