Hula Hoop Day

What Is Hula Hoop Day?

October 18 is "Hula Hoop Day" in Japan. On October 18, 1958, hula hoops went on sale all at once at major department stores in Tokyo. They cost about 270 yen for adults and 200 yen for children, and some 800,000 were reportedly sold within a month. With children and adults alike swinging their hips in the streets, it became one of the defining fads of the Showa era.

A Boom That Rose and Fell Fast

The hula hoop craze took off astonishingly quickly — and ended just as fast.

• A fad from America: The U.S. toy maker Wham-O launched the hula hoop in 1958 to huge success, and the news reached Japan. Advertised as good for beauty and health, it was bought by many adults in Japan as well.
• A sudden end: Reports of children being hit by cars while hooping in the street, along with a false rumor that hooping caused intestinal twisting (volvulus), made the craze fade rapidly within about 40 days of the launch.

How a Hoop Keeps Spinning

• Push, don't circle: The trick is said to be rocking your body back and forth (or side to side) to keep pushing the hoop, rather than circling your hips. Pushing in time with the hoop's contact keeps it turning.
• Heavier hoops are easier: Larger, heavier hoops rotate more slowly, making it easier for beginners to match the rhythm. Weighted fitness hoops are sold today.

Hula Hoop Trivia

• The name: "Hula" comes from the hip movement of Hawaiian hula dance, and "hoop" means a ring.
• An ancient pastime: Spinning rings made of wood, bamboo, or vines is said to have existed in many parts of the world since ancient times. The 1958 boom was driven by cheap, light plastic hoops that could be mass-produced.
• Hoop dance: Dance and performance with hoops is popular today, and street performers spinning several hoops at once are a common sight.
• Hooping as exercise: Fitness hoops have become a staple for easy home workouts. Keeping it moderate is the key to sticking with it.

Ideas for Hula Hoop Day

• Compete with family or friends to see who can keep a hoop going longest. Your body may remember more than you expect.
• Ask older people what they remember about the Showa-era craze.
• Talk about why 800,000 hoops sold in a month and the boom faded within about 40 days — a fun way to think about how trends spread.
• Even if it doesn't work at first, enjoy the process of getting the hang of it.

Keep Going at Your Own Rhythm

October 18 recalls the hula hoop craze that swept Japan almost overnight. The secret to keeping a hoop in the air is to keep pushing at a steady rhythm without rushing. Work is similar: finding a pace you can sustain matters more than momentum alone. Today, try to be mindful of a rhythm that suits you.