Currently aired by the NHK, Radio Taiso started in 1928, after the coronation of Emperor Hirohito. Originally, it had come from an American series sponsored by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The radio exercises were briefly banned after 1945, deemed to be "too militaristic", but in the 1950s, NHK paired up with the education and health ministries, and the Japanese Gymnastic Association and Japan Recreation Association to create what is now a well known and loved short set of exercises.
Frequently, these exercises are used in schools as warmups, but companies have also been known to include the routine as part of day-to-day working life as a means of building morale and unity.
Naturally, this is reflected in Japanese media.
The Japanese Post Insurance Company nowadays also provides instructions
and videos so that anybody can join in from the comfort of their own home.
Examples
- Animal Crossing for Nintendo GameCube has a set of morning exercises lead by Copper, one of the local police officers. In New Leaf, the music used during the exercises can be heard on the televisions at 6am and 3pm. In New Horizons, Isabelle and Tom Nook (as well as other residents at random hours of the day) can be seen practising the moves in the Resident Support Services building and, in the November 2021 update, a radio was placed at the door of the Resident Services so the player can do it too.
- In the Steven Universe episode "Future Vision", Steven and Garnet spend time on the beach working out to a Korean version of the program.
