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Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

I was wondering if most Japanese cities had a gym with a weight room. Obviously big cities like Tokyo, Osaka et al are going to have them, so I'm referring more to smaller cities (100,000-300,000 people). I don't require a lot of fancy equipment, just free weights and dumbells.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

You might get a better answer if you stated which city you are interested in.

Guile · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 9:58 pm Post subject:

for sure u can find at least one in any city... probably a bit more expensive that back home tho. the one in the city i lived in was about 5000 ~ 7000 yen per month. there were also some where u could pay per visit, about 400 yen for the day.

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

How big was your city Guile, and how was the equipment? I heard a rumour that you're required to take off your shoes in the weight room (!?!) at most places...that sounds like a liability suit waiting to happen

nakanoalien2 · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 52 Location: Nakano, Japan

I don't think you will have any problem finding a city gym. Of course you may have to ask around to find the place, though.

The quality, equipment, and fee of the gym varies widely from town to town. I'm not sure how the funding is doled out for these places, but certainly not all public gyms are created equal.

You should be able to find dumbells and basic free weights. I used to use one of the smallest gyms I've ever seen (Shin Yurigaoka) and they had:

-free weights (incl. bench, squat, dumbells)
-5 or so treadmills
-10 or so bikes
-a 1980s universal type weight machine (for lats, triceps, etc)

If you are a really big guy, I suppose it's possible that the weights provided are not heavy enough, but I doubt it.

As for sneakers, you have to wear them. You take them off in the stretching area. Also, you can't/shouldn't wear your outdoor sneakers indoors. It's a pain - I've got 2 really nice pairs now - one for jogging, one for the gym.

easyasabc · Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 179 Location: Japan

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.

easyasabc · Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 179 Location: Japan

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

I think that's a problem world-over, not just Japan. Just last night (here in Canada) I saw this kid doing this bizarre rotating arm curl manouver, where he spun his trunk around as he attempted to curl. He looked like some sort of malfunctioning garden sprinkler Smile

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.

nakanoalien2 · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 52 Location: Nakano, Japan

Yes Vince - I was talking about the Shin Yuri public gym. It's a straight 2-3 minute walk past the movie theatre and the soccer fields.

I moved out of the area and live in Nakano now and go to the XAX gym in Hatagaya. This gym has a seated calf machine by the way. It's a bit more expensive than the Tipness in Nakano, but has alot less people in it at any given time.

There is a real cultural aspect to the equipment in gyms. It has to do with what a good looking or healthy body is supposed to be in that society. I've noticed massive amounts of free weights in the US. Treadmills and bikes are mainly girl machines in my small US hometown, while I have trouble getting on a treadmill in Japan or Europe. In Japan, ask any woman about her calves. It is a downright complex in Japan to have remotely thick calves. There is even a term "Daikon Ashi" for those with thick calves/no visible ankles.

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.