Breaking
Breaking
Delve into the legacy of breaking and Red Bull BC One in Japan
In 2025, Red Bull BC One returned to Japan for the third time and delivered a Street Fighter-flavoured spectacle. Here we run down some of the history-making moments achieved by Japanese breakers.
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Japan has long been a powerhouse in breaking, known for consistently producing b-boys and b-girls with high calibre skills. World renowned Japanese breakers include B-Boys Kazuhiro, Katsu One, Taisuke, Issin, Red Bull BC One Champion Shigekix, B-Girls Shi-Chan, Narumi, Ayumi, Yasmin and two-time Red Bull BC One champion Ami. Well known, top-level crews who have come out of Japan over the years include Mortal Kombat, All-Area, Floorriorz, Foundnation and Body Carnival.
So, in celebration of the Japanese breaking scene, we're looking back at the history-making moments, notable achievements and cultural spirit of Japan and its breakers.
Issin and Shigekix are two of Japan's breaking stars
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
01
The youngest b-boy to win the Red Bull BC One World Final is Japanese
In 2016 Japan got its first Red Bull BC One world champion, when B-Boy Issei won the world final in Nagoya in front of his home crowd. Issei was 19-years-old at the time, making him the youngest b-boy to ever win the world final.
Four years later, in 2020, B-Boy Shigekix became the second Japanese breaker to win the Red Bull BC One World Final. He was 18-years-old, one year younger than Issei when he won, so set a new record as the youngest b-boy to become a Red Bull BC One champion.
Shigekix is the B-Boy champion of Red Bull BC One World Final 2020
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
02
The first b-girl to compete at the World Final is from Japan
In 2017 Japan’s B-Girl Ayumi made history when she became the first ever to receive a wild card and compete in the Red Bull BC One World Final competition, leading the way for all the b-girls who now battle every year in the world final competition.
Ayumi at the Red Bull BC One World Final 2017
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
03
Ami was the first ever Red Bull BC One B-Girl champion
The Red Bull BC One World Final B-Girl competition debuted in 2018 and it was Japan’s B-Girl Ami who made history as the first ever Red Bull BC One B-Girl champion.
Ami, champion of Red Bull BC One 2018
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Also notable was that three of the four b-girls in the semi-finals that debut year were Japanese: Ami, Ayumi and Narumi. The only other b-girl left competing was San Andrea from France. Ami won her second world final title in 2023, joining a prestigious group of multi-time Red Bull BC One champions.
The top four B-Girls of 2018: Ami, Ayumi, San Andrea, and Narumi
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
04
The first siblings to compete at the world final were Japanese
Japan holds two notable, historical moments here. The first was in 2018 when sisters Ayumi and Narumi both competed in the first Red Bull BC One b-girl battle, making them the first siblings to ever compete in the same world final competition.
Narumi from Body Carnival crew...
© Yusuke Kashiwazaki/Red Bull Content Pool
and her sister Ayumi both competed in the first-ever b-girl world final
© Yusuke Kashiwazaki/Red Bull Content Pool
The second was in 2020, when Shigekix won the world final b-boy competition. His older sister, B-Girl Ayane also competed in the world final b-girl battle that year, making it to the semi-finals, marking the first time a brother and sister competed at the same world final.
05
Last Chance Cypher debut and achievements
The first ever Last Chance Cypher competition took place at the 2016 Red Bull BC One World Final, in Nagoya. Now, the yearly competition that sees all the national b-boy and b-girl cypher winners compete for the open spots in the world final line up. Japan’s cypher winners have won the LCC three times: B-Boy Nori won it in 2019 and 2021, while B-Girl Ayumi won the b-girl LCC in 2021 as well.
Nori competes in the Last Chance Cypher of Red Bull BC One World Final 2021
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
06
Japan's history-making gold and bronze medal collection
When breaking made its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, B-Girl Ami made sporting history when she took the gold medal for Japan. That win made Ami the first and, right now, only b-girl in history to win a Summer Games gold medal.
Ami won gold in the Paris Games 2024
© Suguru Saito/Red Bull Content Pool
Six years earlier breaking made its debut at the 2018 Youth Games in Argentina. There, Japanese breakers took home two gold medals and one bronze. B-Girl Ram achieved the two gold medals, winning the solo b-girl competition to make history as the first ever Youth Games solo b-girl champion, and then also winning gold in the 2vs2 Bonnie and Clyde (one b-boy and one b-girl team) competition. The bronze medal for Japan was won by B-Boy Shigekix when he took third place in the solo b-boy competition.
Ram and Shigekix represented Japan at the Youth Games 2018
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
07
‘Shokunin spirit' behind the excellence in the Japanese dance scene
B-Boy Shigekix has attributed Japan’s consistent high-level in breaking to the Japanese, cultural way of life called 'Shokunin spirit', which is defined as the Japanese way of honing ones craft and perfecting every aspect of what you do. Relating this spirit to breaking, Shigekix said: "when you dance, it's not just about dancing, it's more about always thinking about how to master something."
Shokunin spirit is something that's ingrained in Japanese culture as a whole, resulting in people becoming immersed in the thing they love doing and practising with a strong sense of craftsmanship and focus. This spirit is seen in the fact that many Japanese breakers will work all day and then practice late into the night. For example, B-Girl Ami said: "when I was a student I would go to school, then my part-time job and then practice at midnight." Shigekix also trains seven days a week, twice a day, for 5 to 6 hours of training.
Find out more about the Shokunin spirit in Breaking Beyond: Tokyo:
42 min
Shigekix shows Ronnie around Tokyo
B-Boys Shigekix and Ronnie reveal Tokyo's secret: the pursuit of perfection in dance, food and craftsmanship.
08
An intra-crew b-boy final and a double win in 2025
In 2025, b-boys Issin and Haruto, both representing Japan's Body Carnival crew, battled in the final, in one of the hypest match-ups of recent years. That they both hail from the same crew is another historic first, when we exclude all-star teams with worldwide members.
Issin and Haruto in the final battle of Red Bull BC One 2025
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
The same year, Issin and Riko won both belts, on home soil.
Issin and Riko celebrate victory in Tokyo
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
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