How to use a public gym in Japan

It’s been a while since you came to Japan and you’ve got used to life in Japan. So you have in mind that you start going gym to take back your healthy lifestyle as you did so in your country.

Things you buy at any stores and shops in Japan are expensive from top to toe. Actually your deep mind prioritizes saving your money to spend stable living in Japan. If you go to gym, monthly fixed expenses go away from your balance constantly. This is the reason that keeps you from registering membership of gym.

Well, it’s natural. most of gyms in Japan quoted its basic monthly charge at at least 10000 yen monthly. I understand your circumstance that you become too lazy to decide whether you apply for a gym or not.

In that case, how about going to a sport center nearby your apartment? In Japan, each municipality of almost all the regions in Japan has more than one sport center. For example, if you live in Shinjuku-ku, there is a sport center run by private company entrusted with operations by Shinjuku-ku

A sport facility just sells single ticket to use gym for the day. There is no concern that you need to pay monthly membership fee constantly although you just use several times a month. If you buy single ticket as often as you go to gym, it is much cheaper than you go to private gym and quite economic friendly for your life in Japan.

Usage fee or single ticket is basically 300yen to 400 yen. Available time zone is averagely 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. You can come every day except for closed day once a week.

Anyone who use gym for the first time need to receive a easy lecture about rules and usage of exercise machine even no matter how long you have been training at gym in your country. After this step, you can use facility freely.

There are roughly 3 types of facilities in a public sport center, which is

• a indoor sports hall
• a swimming pool
• athletic gym

About using a swimming pool and indoor sports hall, you can use these facilities unless these facilities are reserved by a group.

Swimming pool

Rules for using facilities are different. I summarize the average common points that you pay attention to when using.

Usage time	Basically, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Your last entry time should be until 1 hour before the close time.) There is a closed day at least once every week There is non-available time zone by private charter depending on the day It is closed in Christmas and holiday season from 29 Dec, to 3 Jan
Interval time	There is forcible interval 10 minutes break on every hour. With a whistle sound from a life guard, you stop swimming and get out of water.
Ticket price	Adult : 300~400yen Adult concession (more than 70 years old) : 200yen Pre school Child: Free Handicapped concession : Free
Not allowed	a person who wears diaper a person who is drunk a person who is sick, has illness on eyes and ears, and diarrhea a person who are advised not to swim by a doctor.
Coin lockers	You insert a 100yen coin into a coin socket equipped next to a locker. When you turn key around to lock, a 100 coin are set inside. When you unlock a locker with a key, 100yen will be returned back from return slot under a coin socket.
Things you can bring in	towel flutter board goggle water wings a bottle of drinks (plastic bottle or canteen with lid)
Rules	Follow the instruction of life guards for safety and hygiene reasons. You may get the bounce if there is a behavior interrupting and causing troubles for other swimmers in a common sense. Do not run poolside Do not use cell phone in a facility Do not dive into water but go into water quietly
Others	If there are excessive entries beyond the capacity of a facility, the number of entries should be restricted. Do not take pictures and movies in a facility. Your valuables can be kept in safe box. (Need a100 yen coin but it’s returned back when you unlock)

Fitness gym

Usage time	Basically, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Your last entry time should be until 1 hour before the close time.) There is a closed day at least once every week It is closed in Christmas and holiday season from 29 Dec, to 3 Jan You can use for 4 hours with basic ticket. If you continue to use a facility over 4 hours, you need to pay 150 yen for every excess hours.
Ticket price	Adult : 300~600yen Under 15 concession: 100 yen Adult concession (more than 70 years old) : Free Handicapped consession : Free If you continue to use a facility over 4 hours, you need to pay 150 yen for every excess hours
Not allowed	a person who doesn’t register membership a person who is drunk a person who is sick a person who are advised not to do training by a doctor.
Coin lockers	You insert a 100yen coin into a coin socket equipped next to a locker. When you turn key around to close, a 100 coin are set inside. When you open a locker with a key, 100yen will be returned back from return slot under a coin socket.
Things you prepare	Indoor shoes towel a bottle of drinks (plastic bottle or canteen with lid)
Check your blood pressure	Check your blood pressure before starting exercise and note it on a card
Rules	Follow the instruction of trainers for safety reasons. You may get the bounce if there is a behavior interrupting and causing troubles for other trainees in a common sense. If you become sick and get injured, call trainers to be taken care of. Wipe mattress and machines with equipped floorcloth after using. Treadmills and exercise bikes can be used for 40 minutes per person Your valuables can be kept in safe box. (Need a100 yen coin but it’s returned back when you unlock)
Registration	Receive a easy lecture about rules and usage of exercise machine even no matter how long you have been training at gym in your country. Reserve registration seminar beforehand and join the seminar and receive a card

Indoor sports hall

Indoor sports hall and other facilities such as Dojo, Archery court, Kendo training hall, Sumo hall)

Usage time	Basically, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Your last entry time should be until 1 hour before the close time.) There is a closed day at least once every week It is closed in Christmas and holiday season from 29 Dec, to 3 Jan There is non-available time zone by private charter depending on the day
Usage time 2	There are usually 4 time buckets a day to use a facility. For example, the first time bucket is 9:00 a.m. ~ 12:00 p.m. , the second time bucket is 12:30 p.m. ~ 4:00 p.m. , third time bucket is 4:30 p.m. ~ 7:00 p.m. , and fourth time bucket is 19:00 p.m. ~ 22:00 p.m. . When each time bucket finishes, all the trainees is swapped. For example, if you do exercise in the first time bucket, you will have to finish until 12:00 a.m.
Ticket price	Adult : 300~600yen Under 15 concession: 100 yen Adult concession (more than 70 years old) : Free Handicapped consession : Free
Not allowed	a person who is drunk a person who is sick a person who are advised not to do training by a doctor.
Things you prepare	Indoor shoes towel a bottle of drinks (plastic bottle or canteen with lid) Tools which you need to use for the sport
Rules	Follow the instruction of trainers for safety reasons. You may get the bounce if there is a behavior interrupting and causing troubles for other trainees in a common sense. If you become sick and get injured, call staff to be taken care of. Clean floor and machines with equipped floorcloth and mops after using. Retrun borrowed things back to reception

There are some rules you don’t get used to on using sport facility and some rules may restrict your behavior. However, usage price is ideally cheaper than any other private gyms. If you want to save your money but do some exercises a couple days a week, you don’t miss to take advantage of this opportunities.