Gym in Japan (Cost, Location, Services)

If you are planning to get a typical gym membership in Tokyo, Japan, you should expect to spend at least 8,000 yen or 80 dollars a month. It is expensive as hell and the reason for this is due to the lack of demand of gym membership and the cost of rent in. You will find famous gyms like Gold’s Gym or Anytime Fitness. Unlike America however, Japan has special city gyms which are funded by the government. They usually do not have monthly fees but charge based on how many times you use it.

Gym Fees

Besides costing about 8,000 yen, sometimes they will charge you extra to use other gyms in other cities. I checked with a Gold Gym close to Ikebukuro and they charged an extra 2000 yen in order to use all Gold Gyms through out Japan. [per month] You may think that it is cheaper to purchase a gym membership some where in a rural district and then get the pass to use all gyms but one of my friends tried that and it doesn’t work. The reason for this is that the gym that you use the most of will be where you will have to pay. If you are using the gym in Tokyo the most then you will have to pay Tokyo fees.

How to Save Money

If you do not go to the gym more than 3 times a week then you probably can save money by going to your city gym. Depending on where you go, the prices range from 200–400 yen. I’ve been to the city gym in Kawasaki, Chiyoda [Tokyo Gymnasium} Kinshicho, Shinjuku, and Hirai and they all charge about 250 yen per use and usually for a maximum of 2 hours.

City Gyms

Since these gyms are very cheap, It means that you have a less variety of machines to choose from. I suggest you to take a look at it before using the gym so you don’t waste your money. You can ask by using the words “Shigaki shi te mo ii desuka?” Which means can I take a look at it before using it? Most of these places should have what you need but may be a bit smaller than you might expect. Also, there tends to be a lot of old people doing rehabilitation training and you might not find a bench at your local gym.

Gym User Image