Challenge! Guinness World Records that are easy to attempt with large groups
Guinness World Records documents every kind of world’s best.
There may be more people than you’d expect who think, “I’d love to win one at least once in my life.” In this article, we introduce Guinness records that are easy to attempt with a large group.
We’ve gathered challenges suited for many participants, such as competing in how many people can achieve a particular goal or how many of a single item a big group can produce.
It might be tough to gather enough participants, but this is an era when anyone can connect online! If you find a record you want to try, rally lots of friends and give it a shot.
[Challenge!] Guinness World Records that large groups can easily attempt (1–10)
Number of high-fives you can do in one minute
There’s even a Guinness World Record for the number of high-fives you can do in one minute.
The record was set by people from a shopping arcade in Osaka City.
Participants lined up in a single row along the main street of the long arcade, and one person sprinted through to exchange high-fives.
The person doing the high-fives was reportedly soccer player Takumi Minamino.
Inviting a star guest to take on the challenge would make it even more memorable, I think.
By the way, the record was 187.
First, let’s look for a long straightaway!
Number of people who did finger wrestling at the same time
Finger wrestling is a competitive game played with one hand locked with an opponent’s, loved by people of all ages for its simple rules and the ease of playing without equipment.
This Guinness record involves many people playing finger wrestling simultaneously.
Participants join hands to form a large circle and start finger wrestling at a signal.
Because finger wrestling is done with the same-side hands interlocked, people alternate between stretching their arms out to the side and crossing their arms in front of themselves, which adds to the fun of the moment.
Rather than focusing on who wins, this Guinness record conveys the sense of everyone enjoying the activity together.
Number of people who toasted at the same time
This is a simple Guinness record: having a large group perform a toast to mark the opening of a party or event.
Because the concept is simple and easy to join, the required number of participants is high, so how you gather people becomes crucial.
Since the flow is short—everyone gathers and shouts a toast—it might work well as one part of a large event’s program.
It’s a Guinness record that unites everyone in the moment to celebrate the opening, boosting a happy mood.
Red Light, Green Light with a large group
The world Guinness record achieved by elementary and junior high school students in Tsukuba City is for the largest number of people playing “Daruma-san ga koronda” (a game similar to Red Light, Green Light).
When they set the record, everyone gathered on the school grounds and a stage was set up in the middle.
It seems the game was played in a formation surrounding the ‘oni’ (the tagger) standing on the stage.
By the way, the number of participants was 2,039.
It might be extremely difficult for a single school or group to surpass that number.
Try thinking from the perspective of how to gather that many people.
Also, the scene during the challenge is spectacular—that’s part of the appeal.
If you document it, it will make for a great memory.
Make a human formation with a large group
There’s a uniquely Japanese Guinness World Record called “forming the hot spring symbol.” Do you know the hot spring symbol? It’s the one with three rising steam lines above a semicircle.
The record involves people gathering to create that symbol with their bodies.
Since you need to judge from a high vantage point whether the hot spring symbol has been formed correctly, a school field with nearby buildings would be ideal.
By the way, the current record is 466 people, achieved in Tochigi Prefecture.
Try to gather even more people and beat that record!
Video chain
Some of you may want to attempt a Guinness World Record together with people who are far away.
In that case, a video chain is a great option.
A video chain is a video that looks connected even though each part is filmed in a different place.
For example, someone might extend a baton to the edge of the screen, and the next person would appear to take the baton from the edge as if receiving it.
As long as it looks connected, it’s fine—so feel free to make it original.
Have fun coming up with your own ideas!
People with the same name gather in the same place
Have you ever met someone with the exact same name as you? If you do, you’ll probably get excited and quickly hit it off.
On that note, here’s a Guinness World Record I’d like to introduce: people with the same name gathering in the same place.
There are no restrictions on the name itself—having the same full name is enough.
It’s also counted even if the kanji characters are different.
Take this opportunity to use the internet and try gathering people who share your full name.
It could be a great way to make new friends.
By the way, the current record is 178 people named “Hirokazu Tanaka.”
The number of paper cranes made by 100 elementary school students in 5 minutes
This is a Guinness record for how many classic origami cranes can be made in five minutes.
Since the conditions specify a team of 100 elementary school students, the key point is how many students skilled at origami you can gather.
The steps used to fold the cranes are also important; having many people master a simpler process is likely the key to achieving the record.
Even if some people get flustered and can’t fold well, others can make up for it by working hard, so I think it’s a record that can also strengthen the team’s sense of unity.
Number of people gathered in samurai attire
The Shingen-ko Festival, held every April in Yamagata Prefecture, has been making headlines for a Guinness World Record it achieved.
The record is for the largest gathering of people dressed as samurai, totaling 1,061 participants.
Apparently, there were initially about 1,500 people in samurai attire, but each person was checked individually, and those who didn’t meet the criteria were excluded.
These criteria were determined through discussions between the festival organizers and the adjudicator.
If you’d like to take on the challenge, be sure to look into the requirements in advance.
Number of people who caught the kendama on the big cup
When it comes to Guinness World Records familiar to many Japanese people, perhaps the first that comes to mind is “the most people catching a kendama on the big cup.” That’s because attempting this record has become a year-end tradition on the NHK New Year’s Eve music show, Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
For reference, the show has tried it six times and succeeded three times.
Feel free to use the broadcast as a guide for your own attempt.
The current record is 127 people.
Start by practicing catching on the big cup! It takes some technique, so you might struggle at first.