Serious Gains in the Business of Health

To begin, I’d like to ask about fitness culture in Japan. Japan is widely known as a very healthy and long-lived country, and many people feel that there may be a distinctive way of thinking about wellness and fitness behind this. On the other hand, in a previous interview someone suggested that, compared with people in Europe and the U.S., Japanese people may feel a bit reluctant to exercise in public spaces—in other words, to go to a gym. So first, from your perspective as someone who has led Japan’s fitness industry for many years, how do you view the unique characteristics of Japanese attitudes toward fitness, and the differences from other countries?

First, as a premise, the figure referred to in Japan as the “fitness participation rate” generally means the proportion of people who belong to private fitness clubs. That number is said to be around 4–5% at present. However, in reality this does not reflect the full picture. In Japan there are also many people who use public sports centers and training facilities, but that data is not included in the statistics. So the 4–5% figure mainly covers members of private clubs, and even excludes corporate members who join through company welfare programs.

In Western countries, the way the statistics are collected is different: they count not only private gyms but also the use of public facilities and even personal exercise habits as “fitness participation.” For that reason, Japan’s number inevitably looks low in comparison. Another major factor is a difference in “mindset.” For a long time in Japan, the idea that “working out is part of everyday life” was not firmly rooted. For example, structured exercise such as weight training was scarcely incorporated into school education until just a few years ago. But in recent years such activities have begun to be introduced in schools, and fitness culture is becoming natural for younger generations. Because they become familiar with exercise in elementary and junior high school, they don’t feel resistance to it and are starting to accept it as part of their lifestyle.

Because our generation learned to swim at school, we still feel no hesitation about swimming in a pool. In the same way, today’s children are experiencing running, strength training, and dance at school, so I’m convinced that ten years from now fitness will naturally become part of everyday life. In fact, dance has recently become a required part of elementary and junior high PE classes, and more schools are even competing in nationwide hip-hop and rap-dance contests. When we were young, we couldn’t have imagined such scenes. I think the accumulation of these experiences will make moving the body feel “normal” rather than “special.” Also, many people in Japan exercise at home, but that data is not reflected in the statistics either.

So in other words, a culture of exercising at home isn’t showing up in the numbers.

Exactly. For example, do you know “Billy’s Boot Camp”?

Of course—it's that famous home fitness program.

Right. That was sold by O’Crown Marketing (Shop Japan), and about three to four million sets were sold in Japan. It’s a representative example showing how deeply rooted the culture of exercising at home is here. So I don’t completely agree with Japan’s “fitness participation rate” statistics. If you included people who exercise at home, people who use company facilities, and users of public gyms, the actual participation rate would be far higher.

What I value most is “people” and “heartfelt communication.” I always tell our staff to keep these four principles in mind: Feel what the other person is feeling. Understand what those feelings mean. Think about how to make those wishes a reality. And above all, be kind and considerate. I constantly remind staff not to forget kindness. What matters is not just customer service, but the ability to sense things from the other person’s standpoint. There’s a famous Bruce Lee quote: “Don’t think. Feel.” That is exactly the spirit here. To feel the other person’s emotions with your heart, not just your head—that is true hospitality. If you are kind, customers will respond. If you treat them coldly, no one will come back. This way of thinking is at the core of Gold’s Gym Japan’s culture.

In Western gyms, relationships with staff can be quite minimal, and many facilities are almost unmanned. Your approach feels warm and very Japanese.

Is there a possibility of expanding this unique style—“a global brand × Japanese hospitality”—to Asia or other overseas markets in the future?

Yes, I think that possibility is definitely there. I visit each club regularly and speak directly with members. I often hear comments like the shower room door is broken or this area is a bit dirty. Those small observations are very important. Members on the floor see the facility most closely, and they naturally point out things we might miss. This isn’t just about “ideas”—it’s dialogue itself. When I visited Gold’s Gym in the U.S., I saw managers naturally walking the floor and chatting casually with members, and I felt, “This is wonderful.” I wanted to recreate that kind of relationship in Japan. I believe that by adding Japanese attentiveness to a global brand, we can create new value.

Next, I’d like to ask about your other business, “ReCyFit.” This is an initiative that embodies sustainability and a circular economy: you repair and refurbish used gym equipment and sell it both in Japan and overseas. Could you explain in detail how you procure the equipment and which countries you export to?

ReCyFit began with the idea of “how can we reuse equipment after it’s finished being used?” When gyms replace machines with new ones, the old machines are often still in perfectly usable condition. We launched a business to repair, service, and resell them.

At first we tried selling to schools in Japan, but demand was limited because of budget constraints. As a result, a lot of inventory remained, so we turned to overseas markets. Fitness culture is growing rapidly in places like Thailand and Vietnam, and there is strong demand for machines from well-known American and European brands—for example, Nautilus, Cybex, and Technogym. Buyers are increasingly coming to Japan because they want reliable, branded equipment rather than cheap machines. Japanese gyms maintain their equipment well, so even second-hand machines are in excellent condition. Early on we also tried donating equipment, but shipping costs were high and it wasn’t sustainable. So we formalized it as a business, building a system for refurbishment, management, and export. As a result, we’ve created a model that is both sustainable and economically viable.

ReCyFit

Looking ahead, with Japan’s population declining and aging, there are concerns about a shrinking domestic market. Given that context, do you think overseas expansion—especially through the ReCyFit business—will become even more important?

I believe so. Japan’s population decline and aging will certainly continue, and it will become difficult to rely only on the domestic market in the long run. Meanwhile, in regions centered on Southeast Asia, fitness demand is expanding rapidly alongside economic growth. By exporting high-quality refurbished machines from Japan, we can contribute to health promotion locally while also creating a circular business that avoids wasting resources. In other words, ReCyFit isn’t just a business—it’s a socially meaningful initiative that connects “the environment, health, and the economy.” In the coming era, every industry will need sustainable systems. We want to put that into practice, starting from the field of fitness.

For more information, visit their website at: https://www.thinkgroup.co.jp/