#Japan #Tokyo #advertising industry #Rayout Inc. #Soba Contest

Rayout's Unique Soba Eating Contest

On a notable day in October 2025, Rayout Inc., based in Shibuya, Tokyo, hosted the 'Advertising Industry Soba Eating Contest 2025 - Companies That Can Eat Are Strong.' This event brought together eight competing companies as part of Rayout's gratitude festival, and it ended with Rayout's victory, adding an exciting twist to the traditional client appreciation event.

Background of the Event

In an ever-evolving advertising landscape, Rayout strives to pursue new challenges in collaboration with its client companies while delivering rapid project execution. To express heartfelt gratitude towards their partners, the company organized this unique celebration. The choice of the soba contest as the main event stemmed from Rayout's philosophy that companies capable of overcoming challenges are 'strong,' paralleling the notion that those who can eat a lot possess the energy needed to tackle tough situations. The event was also designed to give thanks for the autumn harvest, incorporating soba as the central theme.

The festival aimed to cultivate a bond that surpasses just business partnerships with their clients, hoping to foster an energetic and trustworthy relationship that will collectively elevate the momentum of the entire industry moving forward.

Event Overview

The 'Advertising Industry Soba Eating Contest 2025' was part of the 'Rayout Gratitude Festival 2025,' attended by approximately 50 participants. Following an opening speech from Rayout's executive officer, Mr. Baba, the event featured an explanation of the company's structure and an engaging series of interviews with client representatives, showcasing their appreciation for Rayout's services. Comments varied from acknowledging Rayout as an indispensable partner to humorous reflections on the pressure of their sales tactics, creating an atmosphere filled with laughter.

The Soba Eating Contest Begins!

As the contest commenced amidst harmonious traditional music, the host donned a celebratory outfit and introduced the rules: instead of focusing on quantity, participants would compete on how fast they could eat 50 cups of soba. The winners would receive a trophy, a victory board, and 18 cups of rice. This alignment with the sub-title 'Companies That Can Eat Are Strong' was further emphasized by Mr. Baba, who playfully remarked that productivity relies on adequate sustenance.

Contestants in the First Round

The first round featured noteworthy participants:

• - Rayout Inc. (Kenko Gen, served by Hara)
• - Hakuhodo Products (Ono, served by Nakajima)
• - IT Communications (Hamada, served by Goto)
• - Frontier International (Egami, served by Enoki from Rayout)
• - Flag (Takahashi, served by Okada from Rayout)

Each team showcased their enthusiasm, with Hamada expressing surprise at the event's scale and Ono reflecting on their partnership with Rayout. The excitement was palpable as the rounds began.

As the call to start echoed, participants dove into their plates. Initially, Rayout surged ahead, but soon found themselves overtaken by other teams. Notably, Hakuhodo Products and Frontier International began to stretch ahead, eventually culminating in a thrilling finish with both Frontier and Flag nearly concluding simultaneously, followed by Hakuhodo Products just seconds after.

Second Round Thrills

The second round included:

• - BASE Inc. (Kuma, served by Ishida)
• - Mynavi (Ito, served by Nakayama)
• - Fujiya (Endo, served by Kinoshita)
• - Hakuhodo Products (Kumada, served by Baba)
• - Rayout Inc. (Junyo Gen, served by Suzuki)

In a high-energy atmosphere, contestants pushed their limits. Ultimately, Rayout completed their challenge first, effortlessly handling extra soba from Hakuhodo Products after their victory.

Final Outcome

The event concluded with Rayout emerging victorious, completing the daunting feast in just 02:26:43. Upon receiving the trophy and accolades, Genn Kenko humorously acknowledged the irony of finally defying his wife's advice on good eating habits. He expressed eagerness to engage with everyone present beyond the contest.

Responses from Participating Companies

Participants shared glowing remarks about Rayout’s energetic environment and collaborative spirit. Attendees reiterated their desire to continue working together, suggesting that events like these enhance understanding and connections across companies.

Comments from Rayout's Executive Officer

Executive officer Mr. Baba reflected on the success of the event, emphasizing the value of the gratitude festival and the opportunity it offered to strengthen relationships while expressing appreciation for their partners’ continuous support. He looks forward to hosting such engaging events in the future as a means to further enhance Rayout’s value proposition.

About Rayout Inc.

Founded in April 2019, Rayout is a professional organization focused on the execution and promotion of projects. They support clients in HR, PR, marketing, and management planning, driving fundamental problem discovery and creative outputs across over 2,300 projects for more than 500 companies. They also manage the cloud tool CheckBack, improving efficiency in the review and approval processes.