Toru Dance, 60-Year-Old Japanese Management Consultant, Becomes Social Media Star With Funk Choreography

Toru Utsumi, a Japanese management consultant, has built a large social media following under the pseudonym Toru Dance by posting funk choreography. Now 60, he has drawn hundreds of thousands of internet users, extending well beyond Japan's borders. His deadpan humor is credited with breaking down stereotypes about Japanese employees, particularly the image of the disciplined, unspontaneous "salaryman." The clips pair his professional background with dance routines, a contrast that drives the appeal. The report was published by Le Monde on October 20, 2026.