BMX Freestyle Flatland—an urban sport in which Japan leads the world.

Competitors perform in a flat arena with no ramps,

and the sport has often been likened to the BMX version of figure skating.

The BMX national championships attract Japan's top riders, who put on a world-class show.

We take a look at some elite Japanese riders, and uncover the secrets behind their unique BMX Flatland skills.

Today, we introduce BMX Freestyle Flatland, a sport that's all about the rider and their BMX.

Flatland, however, is technically complex, with an almost infinite range of incredible tricks,

that can take years to develop and even longer to master.

Here to talk us through the intricacies of this exciting sport is one of the world's leading riders.

Let's welcome BMX Flatland World Champion, Sasaki Moto!

Great to have you on our show. Thank you for joining us!

38-year-old Sasaki Moto has had a major influence on Japanese Flatland.

As a legendary veteran rider, he continues to compete,

winning the World Championships as recently as 2022.

Sasaki helps us get to the bottom of what makes Flatland so appealing.

So, as a BMX Flatland World Champion,

can you tell me what riders need to do to succeed in competitive BMX Flatland?

You need to perform difficult tricks and complex variations.

But above all, to score high, you need to show originality.

Flatland routines last for three minutes.

Between three to five judges watch from the side of the arena, scoring the performance.

The BMX bikes used in Flatland have large pegs on each wheel hub.

Riders can place either their hands or feet on these pegs.

They serve as a support to the body, allowing the rider to perform a variety of tricks.

In Flatland, originality is highly valued,

which means each competitor brings something unique to their routines.

To become a top competitor, riders must invent new tricks and develop their own style.

Sasaki has produced a range of tricks, that involve him spinning on his front wheel.

For his trademark "Moto Spin," Sasaki stands on the handlebars and on one peg.

Although he first unveiled the trick in 2010, no one else has ever been able to emulate him.

For the Moto Spin 2, he stands on the handlebars and one pedal.

This raises his center of gravity, making the trick even more difficult.

So you put a lot of effort into that part, the originality part...

I invented my signature moves in 2010 and 2011, and then developed them further.

But that's no longer enough to win, so I'm always looking for new original moves.

And you can't do anything too weird, it has to be something other people want to emulate.

I always consider how a new trick will make the sport look.

We recently went to speak to two younger riders, who are vying with Sasaki Moto for the title of World Champion.

But what makes them so special? Let's take a look.

We find our first BMX Flatland prodigy 300 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, in the prefecture of Niigata.

Our destination is a bicycle shop run by this young rider's father.

Our prodigy is practicing in a corner of the shop.

Katagiri Yu is an 18-year-old high school student.

He's also one of the best Flatland riders in the world.

In 2023, he won international acclaim with his victory at the X Games,

one of the world's most prestigious action sports events.

You can't just copy your rivals.

If you steal a trick from someone else,

then no matter how solid that trick is, you'll still look uncool.

Although Katagiri is still in his teens, he already has an impressive array of trademark moves.

One of those is "Bukujutsu."

I take my feet off the BMX, and spin while keeping myself in the air.

I thought up this trick myself.

There's a sense of weightlessness about this move.

Supporting himself with only his arms as he spins,

Katagiri looks like he's floating in the air.

Bukujutsu is inspired by a trick of the same name in the Dragon Ball comics.

I love that I got to name the trick, and that it drives people wild when I land it.

It's a fantastic feeling!

Katagiri has an even more demanding trick in his repertoire.

It's a trick that everyone has thought about,

but didn't think they could pull off.

This is the Full Flip.

Katagiri jumps off the bike, releases both his hands and feet,

and flips the bike 360 degrees before landing back on it.

The Full Flip has been regarded as impossible to execute,

but due to focusing on the relative positions of the BMX and his body, Katagiri has been successful.

I keep myself as close to the bike as possible.

Unless you're right beside the bike, you can't do the Full Flip.

Katigiri Yu is taking BMX Flatland to new heights.

But he's not the only Yu on the Flatland circuit.

This is Shoji Yu, a 20-year-old who's had a major impact on the sport,

having won the 2023 World Championships.

His victory was down to his mastery of a trick known as the "Transfer."

The Transfer requires the rider to leap from the front wheel to the back wheel, or vice versa.

His ability to freely connect moves together in a seamless routine is one of the secrets of his success.

Shoji learned the Transfer from Sasaki Moto.

They are both from the same area in Japan, and since elementary school,

Sasaki has been something of a mentor to Shoji.

At one point, I wasn't sure what tricks I should work on.

But Sasaki noticed that I had good reflexes, and could jump well.

So, he suggested that I try the Transfer, and that was when I first attempted to master it.

Shoji worked together with Sasaki to develop his spectacular style of riding, that never fails to excite the crowd.

For the 2023 season, Shoji began working on a new Transfer.

Standing on the front pegs, he spins the BMX, before leaping onto a rear peg.

Jumping onto a spinning back wheel requires not only technique, but a lot of courage, too.

As you can see, it's actually quite dangerous.

You have to send yourself flying, and I don't think anyone else would be able to do that.

If you land awkwardly with your leg bent, you can damage your ligaments,

so you really need to focus and psych yourself up to get it done.

I was delighted when I first did it; many of my friends were watching,

so everybody loved it and came over to high five me.

Shoji lives quite close to me, and we often practice together.

So, to be honest, he's kind of like my own kid.

I never thought he'd come this far!

But I'm really pleased to see it.

At the All-Japan BMX Freestyle Championships,

Shoji Yu, Katagiri Yu, and Sasaki Moto played out a fierce battle to become Japan's number one.

Top Flatland riders came together at a shopping mall in Okayama Prefecture, West Japan,

to decide Japan's number one rider.

After the qualifying rounds, three riders are still in the running for the title: Sasaki, Shoji, and Katagiri.

In 3rd place is Sasaki, BMX legend.

Shoji is ahead of his mentor in second place.

And leading the field is Katagiri, the youngest of the three.

The battle for the Japan crown begins.

Sasaki, in third, goes first.

To beat his younger rivals, his strategy is to open with a series of demanding moves.

He begins with his trademark Moto Spin,

before releasing both hands to produce another difficult move, the "Cliffhanger."

The Cliffhanger is one of my favorite moves, and I usually do it at the end of my routine.

But this time, I decided to insert it at the start,

which leaves everyone wondering what I'm going to do to finish up.

Sasaki pulls off another extremely challenging trick,

spinning while standing on the front wheel with crossed legs.

Moto is on fire!

All these tricks went well, but after that, I made a series of mistakes.

I think it started to go wrong when I began to think about winning.

In spite of a strong start, Sasaki lost points after putting his foot on the ground,

ultimately resulting in a disappointing score.

Shoji, the current World Champion, is up next.

He's particularly determined to win the national championships.

Although I'm World Champion, I haven't won the nationals yet.

I want to prove that I'm Japan's number one.

A domestic victory is important to Shoji.

He wows the crowd with a high-speed spin, followed by his trademark Transfer.

Shoji's routine includes multiple versions of the Transfer.

But he runs into trouble on his second.

That's unusual.

I've never seen him fail like that, even at the Worlds.

I could not hide my disappointment.

I really wasn't expecting that.

I guess I was super nervous.

Normally, riders are more cautious after making an error, but not Shoji.

He decides to up the tempo further, going for even more dynamic tricks.

Alongside the Transfer, Shoji has another dramatic move up his sleeve.

This trick, the "Front Double Decade," is what won him the World Championships.

The trick requires Shoji to stand on a tire,

jump, and land back on it, before jumping once again.

The trick is so difficult he can't always pull it off.

In fact, during pre-competition practice, he didn't land it once.

With only 30 seconds remaining, there's no time for another attempt if he gets it wrong.

Despite his earlier mistake,

Shoji's ability to end the routine cleanly sees him go past Sasaki and into first place.

Last to go is Katagiri, who was in first place after the qualifiers.

I think he was in a tough position here,

because if Shoji and I had ridden a clean round and scored high,

then he'd have no choice but to go with his original plan.

But as our routines were imperfect,

he was faced with the dilemma to pull out the stops or play it safe.

Katagiri is known not only for his spectacular techniques, but for the variety of his repertoire.

By changing the positions of his hands and feet, he really switches things up.

His routine's made up of an incredible number of moves.

There are probably around 30 different ones in there.

Like Shoji, he can pull off spectacular tricks, but he also focuses on precision and intricacy.

Katagiri's carefully-put-together routine includes his signature "Bukujutsu."

He also includes a big trick, that sees him balance on unstable pedals to spin his BMX.

With a calm focus you wouldn't expect to see in an 18-year-old, Katagiri moves flawlessly through his routine.

He overtakes Shoji to win the Japan championships.

Thank you very much.

You landed the big trick!

I did it.

I'm so happy.

Japan has a strong field of Flatland competitors,

with each rider pushing their rivals to greater heights on the world stage.

Together they share a common goal: getting Flatland onto the Olympic program.

There are three disciplines in BMX: Racing, Park, and Flatland.

So, it's frustrating that only Flatland isn't included in the Olympics,

although we compete alongside Racing and Park riders at the Worlds.

I'm already 38, and people often ask me how long I'm planning to keep going.

While there's joy in seeing a 15 or 20-year-old win a medal,

someone over 40 winning an Olympic medal is also pretty inspiring.

So, I'll keep going until I'm up on the Olympic podium.

BMX Freestyle Flatland is all about originality, and riders continue to challenge their limits and evolve the sport, as they explore new possibilities.

There's something about a stylish performance that can't be captured within a score.

With its emphasis on originality and flamboyance,

BMX Freestyle Flatland keeps the traditions of street culture alive,

placing importance on style and swagger.

With riders striving to outdo their rivals, performing ever more surprising tricks,

it's easy to see how BMX Freestyle Flatland continues to be a sport that we should keep our eyes on.

"Banzuke" is Grand Sumo's official listing of ranks.

On the list, a rikishi's ring name and other information are written, in a distinctive style called "Sumo-ji."

Sumo-ji are handwritten characters using traditional Japanese calligraphy brushes.

Most items related to Grand Sumo, such as posters and leaflets, are written in the Sumo-ji style.

I'm going to learn Sumo-ji, or sumo writing style.

And my instructor is Mr. Ito Katsuharu, the 34th Kimura Shonosuke, a former top Gyoji referee.

Ito is a Sumo-ji expert.

Writing Sumo-ji is one of a Gyoji's most important tasks.

We asked Ito-san to show us his Sumo-ji skills.

He's writing "gomen koumuru," meaning "authorized."

This expression has been used since the Edo Period.

Organizers during the Edo Period wrote this to indicate that the event has been officially licensed by the authorities.

That's why it's written in the center.

It's right here.

A remnant of Edo Period sumo tradition can still be found in the modern-day Grand Sumo ranking list.

What makes Sumo-ji so unique?

Sumo-ji is written boldly, to keep the gaps between characters to the minimum, and to pray for a full house.

As you can see, there's minimal space between strokes.

It shows the organizers' wish for a venue filled with as many spectators as possible.

Sumo-ji features very thick strokes.

But it takes proficient skills to write letters within a very limited space.

This by the way says, "Asashoryu."

What should an absolute beginner like me start from to learn Sumo-ji?

The basic Sumo-ji characters, are "Yama," "Kawa," and "Umi."

"Yama," "Kawa," "Umi."

"Yama" means mountain, "kawa," river, and "umi," sea.

Many rikishi use these characters in their ring names.

I practiced writing the characters by copying Ito-san.

Evidently, my characters aren't thick enough.

Ito-san also advised me to write in a smooth right upward curve.

This is said to increase one's luck.

Finally, we wrote a lucky phrase together to pray for the further development of sumo.

"Man-in-on-rei:" Thank you for the full house crowd.

We hope the banner sporting this phrase and written in Sumo-ji,

will be unfurled at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena many times in the future.