Newbie in Japan and I don’t speak Japanese at all. Seeking advice on joining a gym – do I need to bring my passport and residence card? Any guidance is much appreciated!
It totally depends on the gym. Why don’t you go to one and try your luck? You’re supposed to have your Zcard on your person at all times anyway
Depends on the gym and it’s usually listed on their website. Usually chains are more foreigner friendly (Gold’s, Anytime Fitness etc)
It can be tough, I signed up online but it really depends on the staff wherever you go if they want to let you work out there
Your ability to pay (and lack of tattoos) will be more important. They’ll want to connect to your bank to auto-deduct the monthly fee.
A good thing to take note of some gym in Japan have a strict footwear policy.
So you should add and consider to purchase a brand new or UNUSED pair of gym shoes to only use indoors within the gym.
It’s less about having an ID card (you should have it with you at all times) and more about setting up the recurring bank payment, with its draconian restrictions on when and how you can cancel.
Any chain of gyms usually have sign up online and the. You just scan your QR code. No need for passport etc. however credit card is needed.
Yes, and if you do get in, if you have any tattoos better cover them when training. Also no supersets allowed.
I think most gym will require you credit card as the only means of payment. Maybe im wrong? The alien card should suffice i think.
Some gyms (Fast 24 or whatever it’s called comes to mind) won’t allow you to sign up unless you or someone with you can read the contract, just a heads up.
You might also want to look into the training rooms your city offers. Many are equipped really well and only cost a few hundred yen per use, no need for a monthly membership.
You need to carry your residence card with you everywhere by law, being stopped by police without it will turn into a pain in the ass. That said, each gym has different requirements and you should check online. If you can’t read any Japanese yet, use the translation function on your browser to get the gist of what they want for a sign up. Most gyms will let you sign up online with a debit or credit card. You’ll need to go into the gym in person to complete the contract and set up payments, get your key fob etc, and that’s where you might find trouble. As you’re signing a contract the establishment is going to want you to understand what you’re signing up for. Do you have anyone you can take with you? It’s not always the case but people have been refused for not understanding what they’re signing up for. The most flexible with the most locations and easiest to get sorted in my opinion is Anytime Fitness. Once you’re with them you can go to any of their gyms in Japan, no indoor shoes, 24 hours (usually), and *sometimes* have staff who can speak English on site. And if I remember correctly they did have an English copy of the terms and conditions after you sign up. Good luck!
12 comments
It totally depends on the gym. Why don’t you go to one and try your luck? You’re supposed to have your Zcard on your person at all times anyway
Depends on the gym and it’s usually listed on their website. Usually chains are more foreigner friendly (Gold’s, Anytime Fitness etc)
It can be tough, I signed up online but it really depends on the staff wherever you go if they want to let you work out there
Your ability to pay (and lack of tattoos) will be more important. They’ll want to connect to your bank to auto-deduct the monthly fee.
A good thing to take note of some gym in Japan have a strict footwear policy.
So you should add and consider to purchase a brand new or UNUSED pair of gym shoes to only use indoors within the gym.
It’s less about having an ID card (you should have it with you at all times) and more about setting up the recurring bank payment, with its draconian restrictions on when and how you can cancel.
Any chain of gyms usually have sign up online and the. You just scan your QR code. No need for passport etc. however credit card is needed.
Yes, and if you do get in, if you have any tattoos better cover them when training. Also no supersets allowed.
I think most gym will require you credit card as the only means of payment. Maybe im wrong? The alien card should suffice i think.
Some gyms (Fast 24 or whatever it’s called comes to mind) won’t allow you to sign up unless you or someone with you can read the contract, just a heads up.
You might also want to look into the training rooms your city offers. Many are equipped really well and only cost a few hundred yen per use, no need for a monthly membership.
You need to carry your residence card with you everywhere by law, being stopped by police without it will turn into a pain in the ass. That said, each gym has different requirements and you should check online. If you can’t read any Japanese yet, use the translation function on your browser to get the gist of what they want for a sign up. Most gyms will let you sign up online with a debit or credit card. You’ll need to go into the gym in person to complete the contract and set up payments, get your key fob etc, and that’s where you might find trouble. As you’re signing a contract the establishment is going to want you to understand what you’re signing up for. Do you have anyone you can take with you? It’s not always the case but people have been refused for not understanding what they’re signing up for. The most flexible with the most locations and easiest to get sorted in my opinion is Anytime Fitness. Once you’re with them you can go to any of their gyms in Japan, no indoor shoes, 24 hours (usually), and *sometimes* have staff who can speak English on site. And if I remember correctly they did have an English copy of the terms and conditions after you sign up. Good luck!