Voice Actors Hiroki Yasumoto & Chiaki Kobayashi Experience in Studio: The World of Sports Timekeeping That Records Athletes' "Records" - The Passion of the "Unsung Heroes" Seiko Timing Team: "Records Are Life Itself"

【Sponsored】Seiko Group Corporation

Voice actors Hiroki Yasumoto and Chiaki Kobayashi took on the challenge of a "time estimation" project where they had to reach the goal in exactly 10 seconds over a designated distance. When equipment with the same mechanisms used at the forefront of events like the World Athletics Championships appeared, there was a scene where they showed both emotions of bewilderment and great delight, saying "Are we really worthy of this...?" and "This is so cool!"

On the March 2nd broadcast of "Say You To Yo Asobi [Hiroki Yasumoto × Chiaki Kobayashi] #34," a "Time Challenge Battle" was held where participants freely moved a distance of several meters and aimed to reach the goal at exactly "00:10:00 (10 seconds)." This was a perfect project for these two who regularly dub voices into footage with 0.1-second precision.

For this occasion, essential track and field equipment including a "starting pistol," "photoelectric cells," and a "timer" appeared in the studio. Although it was a compact type that Seiko Group (hereinafter, Seiko) uses for events and track and field classes, Yasumoto faltered at the authentic setup, saying "I'm happy, but are we really worthy of this...?"

However, once he actually held the starting pistol in his hand, he spoke excitedly, saying "This is so cool! I shoot things like this in Resident Evil," and Kobayashi, who has experience in track and field, also reacted with "So cool!" and "The timer is huge!"

The competition took place in a "special stadium" set up within the studio. Going first, Kobayashi declared right after the start "I'm not counting at all!" and the dance he confidently incorporated resulted in a significant time loss, recording 15.56 seconds. Going second, Yasumoto started from a "lover" style gazing at Kobayashi, then crossed his arms pondering "How long should it be?" before boldly heading to the goal. The result was 12.29 seconds, with Yasumoto claiming victory and obtaining the reward of a Seiko Mini Sports Timer Clock.

Additionally, comparing the 10 seconds they leisurely used, the two were overwhelmed by the greatness of athletes, saying "Isn't Bolt's 100m in under 9 seconds insane!?" and "People who break 10 seconds are amazing."

■Seiko Has Served as Official Timer for the World Athletics Championships for 19 Consecutive Events

When one thinks of Seiko, there's a strong image of watches such as Japan's first domestically produced wristwatch "Laurel" (1913), the world's highest precision standard "Grand Seiko" (1960), the world's first home-use quartz wall clock (1968), the world's first quartz watch "Quartz Astron" (1969), and Japan's first large-scale karakuri clock "Marion Clock" (1984) that sparked a nationwide karakuri clock boom, but that's not all.

In the world of sports where "0.01 seconds" and "1mm" greatly affect rankings and record-breaking, Seiko has supported these scenes with accurate timekeeping and measurement technology for over 60 years since serving as official timekeeper at an international event in 1964.

For the World Athletics Championships, Seiko has served as Official Timer for 19 consecutive events from the 2nd Rome Championships in 1987 to the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships. This is a symbolic achievement demonstrating that Seiko's timekeeping technology is highly regarded worldwide.

Moreover, not limited to the World Athletics Championships, Seiko serves as official timekeeper for major marathon races including the Tokyo Marathon, as well as diverse competitions such as swimming, judo, gymnastics, and skating. Through these activities, Seiko has continued to accurately capture the "moments of truth" and "moments of emotion" that sports create.

Even just for the start and finish of track sprint events, many technologies that Seiko has cultivated over the years are packed in. The "starting pistol" links with each starting block and emits the start sound from built-in speakers at the athletes' feet, supporting a fair start for all competitors. Pressure sensors detect changes in pressure to measure reaction time, and if an athlete starts in less than 1/10th of a second, it's judged as a false start.

At the finish, "photoelectric cells" detect athletes passing through by interrupting infrared or red light, automatically displaying preliminary times on the trackside clock. Photo finish cameras capture 2,000 images per second, measuring finishing order and times to 1/1000th of a second precision through continuous photographs, updating the official times.

■Seiko Has Witnessed Those Record-Breaking Achievements

The "Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships," held in Tokyo for the first time in 34 years in 2025, is still fresh in memory. Seiko has maintained a partnership contract with World Athletics (formerly IAAF) since 1985 and has timed the results of over 200 competitions to date.

There have been 35 world records measured at the World Athletics Championships. Seiko has witnessed the moments when unprecedented records were born, such as "8.95m" recorded in the long jump at the 1991 Tokyo Championships, and "9.58 seconds" in the men's 100m and "19.19 seconds" in the men's 200m recorded at the 2009 Berlin Championships.

Development of cutting-edge equipment is also essential for accurately recording times. At the 2025 Tokyo Championships, "VTT (Video Track Tracking system)" was introduced for sprint events, using AI to track each athlete's movements during races and measure and display performance data such as lap times and speeds in real time.

There were also initiatives to support athletes challenging their limits in the final lap. A "Final Lap Bell" exclusive to the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships was created, a first for World Athletics-hosted competitions. The bell body was made by "Oigo Seisakusho" in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, Japan's largest manufacturer, and the rope used to ring the bell utilized braided cord from "Ryu Kobo," which continues the tradition of Edo kumihimo in Tokyo, bringing together Japanese craftsmanship and aesthetic sense.

■What's Born Isn't Numbers, but "Athletes' Lives" - The Seiko Timing Team's Dedication to "Records"

Accurate timekeeping and measurement is not supported by advanced equipment alone. There exists the "unsung heroes," professionals called the "Seiko Timing Team." With venues changing each time, they consistently deliver fair and correct judgments regardless of the competition or circumstances.

"I believe the unexpected must not happen. I constantly imagine and think about 'what to do in situations like this' to keep things within expectations." "Preparation is almost everything. Even if something seems excessive, we test it and leave nothing to chance." Maintenance is repeatedly performed in preparation for competitions.

For the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, equipment equivalent to 13 tracks arrived at the National Stadium 10 days before the opening. A total of 100 members from Japan and the UK. Each began constructing the measurement system in their specialized fields. "There must absolutely be no errors or mistakes. The difficulty and responsibility lies in eliminating problems one by one."

At the Budapest 2023 Championships, heavy rain struck three nights before the event. The next morning, the rain had stopped, but they completely rebuilt that day's schedule from scratch, thoroughly checking everything from individual cables to the internal components of equipment. Several malfunctions were discovered and immediately restored with backup equipment. Furthermore, on opening day itself, they were hit with heavy rain, but members silently continued preparations, and as the rainfall gradually weakened, the opening was able to take place one hour behind schedule.

Regarding "records," Nozomi Tanaka, who holds Japanese records in the women's 1500m, women's 3000m, and women's 5000m and achieved 12th place in the women's 5000m final at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, says this:

"I think it's proof that I ran, or rather, it's the true proof that I gave my all in track and field."

Tanaka continued:

"The power of so many people was so overwhelming, and I ran thinking I wanted to stand alongside that power without being defeated by it. The sound of the bell was truly clear, really pushing me forward, and I think I was able to run like myself with a truly clear feeling."

What's born isn't just numbers, but stories in the name of records. What the team members have is the passion that "records are the athletes' lives themselves and give dreams and excitement to spectators."

"Rather than just measuring, we want to provide something that reaches athletes and spectators more directly."
"In the end, I'm happy that what I've created is useful to people. It's precisely because it's difficult that it's enjoyable, isn't it?"
"When a competition ends, there's a sense of fulfillment."
"I'm happy to see the faces of athletes at the moment they've given their all."
"After all, the moment it ends, I feel relieved, and at the same time I'm experiencing a sense of achievement like 'We did it!'"

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