Air Sex is a performance competition invented in Japan, (2006), where clothed men and women simulate sexual activity on stage, set to music, in front of a live audience. The creator, J-Taro Sugisaku, says that it was invented by a group of bored men without girlfriends.

And yes it is a real thing.

A report about the phenomenon in the Japanese magazine Weekly Playboy in 2006 was picked up by the English language website Mainichi Daily News. This allowed it to spread to US viewers, where it started becoming local events around the nation. Soon the BBC picked it up and it spread to Europe.

The “Air Sex World Championships” tour the US and have, so far, crowned “Air Sex Champions” in 14 cities.

Air Sex is growing in popularity around the world. I bet you didn’t see this coming.