60-year-old ‘dancing uncle of Japan’ is winning hearts on the internet

Dressed in crisp suits by day and streetwear by night, Toru Utsumi, affectionately known as Uncle Tohru across social media has become a global internet sensation. (instagram tohru_dance)

A 60-year-old Japanese man is winning hearts online with wholesome and well-executed dance videos he posts on social media. Toru Utsumi works as a management consultant in Japan, but on his days off, he dances to his heart’s content, leading him to become a global internet star.

Utsumi has garnered more than one million views on Instagram and TikTok. The greatest allure of his videos is that they are candid, filter-free videos that poke fun at the corporate culture narrative. In his videos, Utsumi dances in random spaces, mainly where many people gather and where discipline and order are prioritised. The Japanese man told The New York Times, “I know I stand out; that’s why it’s very difficult for an ordinary salaryman like me to dance like this.”

But responses to the Japanese man have been mixed. Many comment on his sloppy behaviour, calling it too undisciplined and too gimmicky. However, that doesn’t stop Utsumi from living his life the way he wants to. He has built a strong worldwide following, and his fans fly from across the globe to dance with him.

Speaking about how he started dancing, Utsumi told the US newspaper, “I didn’t have talent early on, but I had an interest.” During the 80s, Japan’s nightlife was thriving, and Utsumi was a fixture at disco halls and clubs. He fell in love with Reggae (a popular music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s) and became known for his “quirky and eccentric” style.

When asked about his success, Utsumi told the newspaper, “I don’t have a grand goal to change society or say, ‘Let’s all work hard together, men in our 60s.’” “But if people see me having fun and decide to try something themselves, that’s enough.”