Gyms

Gyms are the ultimate place for fitness and come in many different varieties in Japan. There are bodybuilding globo gyms, climbing gyms, spin studios, CrossFit boxes, fitness boutiques, and even a few micro gyms. You might find the monthly cost of gyms in Japan is expensive. Don't expect similar prices or the same quality of equipment compared to US gyms in Japan. You are going to pay anywhere from 6000 ($55) up to 13000 yen ($120) for a standard monthly gym membership and unless the gyms are outfitted with some household global fitness equipment brands like Precor, Life Fitness, or Hammer Strength then the no-name-brand equipment might not be up to the quality you are used to. Sports equipment manufactures with the same quality of Rogue, Sorinex, Rep Fitness, EliteFTS, or Fridge Sports are not as common in Japan so the no-name Chinese imported brands gyms use can be hit or miss and one Japanese brand, in particular, I will not mention by name (Bodymaker cough*cough*) has the worse fitness equipment I have ever used. Another common practice is one-time membership sign-up fees for the privilege of working out there. Why are these a thing still, I do not know. These are usually around 3000 ($27) to 5000 yen ($46).  

 

In cities, you will probably have access to public gyms where you can pay per visit or purchase a monthly pass that's usually cheaper than commercial gyms with no sign-up fee. These can run from 200 to 650 yen per visit.

 

Some common names for these places can be; sports center (スポーツセンター supōtsusentā), sports plaza (スポーツプラザ supōtsupuraza), or health center (健康センター kenkōsentā ).

 

Sometimes these places can be found in smaller towns. The ones in the inaka from my experience are catered to the elderly and people who want to maintain their current bodies. These gyms will have lots of cardio machines, a few weight training machines and little to no free weights. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger then these places usually cannot help you. 

 

Running

Is there an easier way to stay fit than running? It's free and you just have to go outside and run. From the snow-capped Mount Fuji to the neon lights of Tokyo, Japan is a great place for running to take in the scenery. Spring and fall are usually the best times to run, not too hot and not too cold. When you do run in summer be careful of the heat. Japan is infamous for its hot and humid summers with many people falling victim to heatstroke. If you need some ways to keep cool in summer then check out our previous article... https://mukimukishop.com/blogs/japan/how-to-beat-the-heat-in-japan

 

Running culture is very big here. Wherever you live in Japan, I bet there are several running events throughout the year near there. In my small town alone, we have at least 5 major running events. I help coach my town's running club and run as town representative for ekiden's across Nagano-ken. Despite taking a break from running to focus on bodybuilding the last few years running has found its way back to me. 

 

I mentioned I run in ekidens so what's an ekiden? An ekiden (駅伝) is a mid to long-distance relay event. My favorite ones are the short 5km ones where each member runs 1000m. This isn't what ekiden's are know for though. The biggest and most famous televised one is the 218km Tokyo to Hakone Ekiden during the New Year's season across two days. Japan is very group focused so It is no surprise ekidens are so popular in Japan.  

 

If you are not interested in running as a group then you can try the regular racing events like 5k, 10k, half and full marathons. Despite not being a full marathon all these events are usually called a marathon. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. There are often many small gifts when entering into these kinds of races, so enjoy!

 

Hiking

Something you need to try at least once while in Japan is hiking. There are hundreds of places across Japan where you can do a half to full-day hike up a mountain or along the coast with several degrees of difficulty to challenge you. Too many people who visit Japan miss out on what hiking can offer that the urban areas can't.

 

My longest hike was 115km over 3 days on the Michinoku Coastal Trail. This was only a small portion of the 1000+km trail. If you are familiar with long trails then you will happy to hear that there is a rise in these types of trails in Japan. Beyond the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Japan Long Trail Association and the Japan Tourism Agency are promoting trail hiking as a part of Japanese sports tourism and focusing on communication with overseas visitors to provide trail information for their visits. This means a lot of these long trails have great resources not just in Japanese but also in English. 

 

Cycling

 Like running, cycling is great for enjoying the view. You don't need an expensive bike to enjoy cycling. It's also a great way to travel when visiting. You can rent a bike from a traditional bike rental shop or some Japanese tech companies have gotten into the bike-sharing business. You can rent a bike and drop it off at any station you want. This can be cheaper than taking the train or subway in the cities. One company that does this is Docomo https://docomo-cycle.jp/?lang=en. 

 

Those are four ways to stay fit in Japan. How do you stay fit in Japan? Leave a comment below to tell us about it!