Members of Cheer Re-Man's, an all-male cheer-leading team of active businessmen, performing at "Cheer Up Japan" in Tokyo. - Reuters
TOKYO: It's a cold, wet morning and frigid air is seeping through the open doors of a college gymnasium in Tokyo. But that doesn't seem to worry Soichiro Kakimoto and 30 other young businessmen as they gear up for their weekend routine: cheerleading.
"Smile when times are tough!" shouts a tall man with an eager smile. The others -- all dressed in dark suits and ties --pump their fists and jam to the upbeat music that fills the space.
