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TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

Can anyone provide information about gyms/fitness centres in Japan: prices, equipment, what people do in the gym (may seem a ridiculous question at first!!) what I mean by this is -

In indonesia the gyms are extremely well equiped yet are used as social clubs where people lounge around allover the machines while sendind SMS messages on their phones, and generally get in the way. And the ladies turn up wearing the latest matching gear, cellphones at the ready, do 5 minutes STEP then lounge around with the others Confused

Chinese gyms on the otherhand are usually empty with the exception of those who can afford to join - this is nice, like having your own private gym (also extremely well equiped).

Many thanks

joncharles · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 132 Location: Beijing

There are plenty of gyms in Japan, but many you will find similar to those in Indonesia. Some of the female teachers I used to work with often complained that there seemed to be an abnormal amount of Japanese guys seemingly hanging around pretending to work out.. but were ogling the cute foreign girls. The women do seem to pop in with the latest in fashon wear for the sweat set. Exercising while at the same time sending e-mail messages via their cells. This has been my experience and or what I have been told...

One strange place for a gym.. near Tsujido Station is a Golds Gym.. just above a Denny's..

Timuli · Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Saitama

Depends where you live. Also depends on your purposes in training. Do you need heavy weights, row machines, pools, squat racks and smith machines...?

Golds Gym are very well equipped for any purpose. If you llive close to one of them join up. If you live further in the sticks it would depend. I've heard some places which dont have any decent heavy dumbells(10kg max). Best to find that part out once you get here.

As for the prices, average for full membership seems in the vicinity of 10 000yen a month(has anybody noticed that most things are 10 000 a month??). You also can get deals depending on what the usual time of the day you decide to train. If you only want to train in the evenings you get an evening package. Cheaper.
But you must also often pay a joining fee. Also seems to be 10 000yen. However, many gyms will have deals where you don't have to pay it all if you get introduced via a current member or if its during their campaign time.

Then there are also "public gyms" often owned by the city or the prefecture. You don't pay a monthly fee nor a joining fee. You only pay per day of training(often around 300 or 400 yen a day). These gyms are also often well equipped.. The one by us has an athletics track, nice gym and aerobics area, pool, tennis courts ans so on.

You mentioned that you will be teaching at a Uni. Best advice would be start there! The uni I teach at has an EXCELLENT gym. I joined their Olympic weightlifting club, as well as amateur boxing club. Good way to meet more people. Best part is: ITS FREE! All the training you want, no pay.

As for the types of people - you'll get those who train seriously and those who don't Wink

hope this helps.
Have fun in Japan:)

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

Thanks for the response, and great suggestion about using the university's facilities. The other option does seem rather expensive Shocked

but I'm sure that it's all relative?

I also imagine that the Japanese are used to seeing westerners in their gyms as opposed to here in China where I am the only westerner at my gym: therefore, I am being constantly touched, spoken to & observed - this is great motivation when training heavy but more than a little annoying when taking a sauna and/or shower Mad

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

My city has gyms ranging from 10,000 yen per month to 300 yen per visit. In my case, what you pay for is often not what you get. The expensive places tend to have a lot of machines (often elastic based) and very few free weights. The place I go to is an absolute dungeon, but it has free weights exclusively and it's only 300 yen per go.

I've worked out in many Japanese gyms in many different cities, and I've noticed a common thread:

1.) 95% of Japanese men have absolutely no idea what they're doing in the weight room. Their form would make a chiropractor vomit.

2.) If they see a big foreigner, said 95% of Japanese men will increase their poundages by 20-40%. Their ligaments cry "Stop!" by their pride says "proceed!"

3.) Most Japanese guys, presumably straight, have absolutely no qualms about trying to fondle you.

Good luck!

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

I've seen the exact same thing here in China, men who follow me around the gym testing everything I've done regardless of weight i.e after finishing my final set of heavy bench some guy will lay down and drop the bar on his chest with the discs spinning off allover the place (no collars as i don't need them - but now i can appreciate why some people do!) but the funniest thing i've seen was a guy doing cable crossovers using lat pull-down bars Shocked

not to mention suicidal squating (I'm not refering to them taking a dump in the public parks - that's another story!). Smoking in the changing rooms, urinating in the showers...arghhhhhhh!!!