Today we’re going to take a look at Japanese Gold’s Gym Locations in plain, easy-to-understand English.
Attention to all you fitness fanatics out there! If you’re living in Japan you may be having a hard time finding a Japanese gym, there’s still hope for you. For those who are serious about weight training, I feel your pain.
People struggle to find a gym they like because a) the rules are a bit weird, b) it’s too expensive, or c) you’ve caught one too many eyefuls Japanese male privates.
If any of these are your reasons, I hate to say it, but a Japanese gyms may be a lost cause.
Well, they're not completely a lost cause. You’ll find that nearly every gym you go to in Japan is going to do things just a little differently than the gym in your hometown.
Of all of the gyms I’ve tried, the best BY FAR has been Gold’s Gym. Here’s the catch though, Gold’s also happens to be one of the most expensive chains in Japan.
Often I come across Gold’s Gym chains by total accident. I’ll be out walking somewhere or running somewhere and just come across that gold and black sign by chance. I’ve found that many of the Gold’s gyms don’t have English info books with all of their locations in it. They may have them in Japanese, but not in English.
So I decided to take matters into my own hands…
Here is a list of every single Gold’s Gym in Japan, listed in alphabetical order along with the nearest station and telephone number.
I truly hope this helps all of you other fitness enthusiasts out there!
Japanese Gold’s Gym Location List in English
| GOLD'S GYM NAME | PHONE NUMBER | NEAREST STATION |
|---|---|---|
| Ashikaga ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 0284-40-1740 | Ashikaga Station (Ryomo Line) |
| Atsugi ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 046-294-3331 | Hon Atsugi Station (North Exit) |
| Bashamichi | 045-212-0606 | Bashamichi Station (Minatomirai Line) or Kannai Station (JR) |
| Express Gyotoku | 047-390-3436 | Gyotoku Station (Tokyo Metro) |
| Express Machida | 042-729-2221 | Machida Station (JR, Terminal Exit) |
| Fuchu ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 042-352-2626 | Fuchi Station (Keio Line, South Exit) |
| Ginza | 03-3535-7373 | Yurakucho Station (JR) |
| Gotemba Shizuoka | 0550-70-0055 | Gotemba Station (JR) |
| Gyotoku | 047-390-3434 | Gyotoku Station (Tokyo Metro) |
| Hachioji | 042-620-2112 | Hachioji Station (JR, North Exit) |
| Harajuku ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 03-5766-3131 | Harajuku (JR) |
| Higashi Nakano | 03-5348-6500 | Higashi Nakano (JR, East Exit) |
| Jusou in Plaza Osaka | 06-6307-3222 | Juso Station (Hankyu Railway) |
| Koriyama Fukushima | 024-942-8881 | Koriyama Station (JR) |
| Kashiwa | 04-7141-7733 | Kashiwa (TX not JR) |
| Kita Senju | 03-5284-3636 | Kita Senju (Tokyo Metro Hibya, Exit 1) |
| Kobe Motomachi | 078-334-3434 | Motomachi Station (JR) |
| Kuritoushiga | 077-554-2255 | Ritto Station (JR, East Exit) |
| Kyoto Nijou ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 075-803-2626 | Nijou Station Kyoto (JR, East Exit) |
| Makuhari | 043-299-2711 | Kaihin Makuhari (JR) |
| Makuhari Annex | 043-297-7111 | Kaihin Makuhari (JR) |
| Minami Sunamichi | 03-3645-9434 | Minami Sunamachi (Tokyo Metro, West Exit) |
| Nagoya Kanayama ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 052-324-5858 | Kanayama Station (JR) |
| Nakano | 03-5318-7351 | Nakano Station (JR) |
| Narita | 0476-29-6622 | Narita Station (JR) |
| Nihama Ehime | 0897-33-5026 | Nihama Station (JR) |
| Oimachi ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 03-5460-3535 | Ooimachi Station (JR, East Exit) |
| Omiya ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 048-650-1818 | Omiya Station (JR, West Exit) |
| Omori | 03-5718-3939 | Oomori Station (JR, North Exit) |
| Omote Sando | 03-5786-1818 | Omote Sando (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Exit A2) |
| Osaka Nakanoshima | 06-6453-7171 | Fukushima Station (JR) Fukushima in Osaka! |
| Otsuka | 03-3917-9434 | Ootsuka Station (JR, North Exit) |
| Saitama Super Arena | 048-600-3939 | Saitama Shintoshin Station (JR) |
| Sendai Chuo | 022-716-8868 | Sendai Station (JR) |
| Shibuya | 03-5464-7373 | Shibuya Station (JR) |
| Shin Kobe | 078-272-1212 | Shin Kobe Station |
| Shonan Tsujido | 0466-30-5353 | Tsujido Station (JR, South Exit) |
| Takasaki | 027-370-3300 | Kita Takasaki Station (JR) |
| Takatsuka Osaka | 072-686-3001 | Takatsuka Station (JR, South Exit) |
| Tozuka | 045-869-1222 | Tozuka Station (JR) |
| Umeda Osaka | 06-6292-0212 | Umeda (Hankyu Railway) |
| Utsunomiya ( 24-Hour Gym ) | 028-622-6600 | Tobu Utsunomiya Station (Tobu Utsunomiya Line) + bus |
| Yokosuka | 046-828-1818 | Yokosuka Chuo Station (Keikyu) |
| Yoshikawa Saitama | 048-984-5930 | Yoshikawa Station- Saitama (JR) |
| Yoyogi Uehara | 03-3467-7272 | Yoyogi Uehara (Tokyo Metro) |
SIGNING UP AT A GOLD’S GYM IN JAPAN
This one’s kind of tricky because I know sign up procedures will vary slightly from gym to gym. I really didn’t have in issues signing up in Bashamichi. There were no strange rules and I got locked in during a special so I think my new member fee was cut in half (or maybe I didn’t have to pay a membership fee?). I’m a full time member at this gym and it costs 12,600 yen (just under $130/month). I don’t know how true this is, but I had a couple of friends mention that at Gold’s in Shibuya they had to sign up for a special Gold’s Gym credit card, because that’s how payments are drafted, but if you’re declined for the card, you can just pay regularly through a bank draft (sounds kind of unnecessary, huh?). No matter where you go, you’ll need the same, standard stuff that you always take when signing up for something in Japan:
1. Alien residence card
2. Bank card
3. Bank book.
Optional
4. You may want to take additional cash , just in case there were any surprise fees (i.e.-membership fees or monthly locker fees; yeah I think it’s kinda dumb, too).
5. I also took my passport but didn’t end up needing it, though.
I know somebody out there doesn’t have the money to join Gold’s (believe me, I’ve been there, too) but you’re still looking for a place to train. Please don’t rule out your city gym (here are some other solutions, too) I haven’t been to a city in Japan yet that doesn’t have either a publicly funded gym or a much cheaper, private, alternative. Train where you can, gang, you don’t have to have the expensive bells and whistles to get your workout on.
WHERE DO YOU WORKOUT IN JAPAN?
Are you weight training in Japan, too? Are you at a good gym? Care to share?
The comments section below is all yours!
Thanks for the post! I can say from experience that the Gold’s Gym in Otsuka is sub-par. Kind of old and dirty, weird layout, weird and unhelpful hours (like you detailed in a previous post). There’s a new Jexer gym on top of JR Otsuka Station, but it may be all flash and no substance.
Personally I swear by my kettle bell, free weights, and outdoor running (yes, even now, when it is cold as heck and the sun isn’t up until 6:30) over a gym. Amazon.jp delivers weights! The takkyubin guy will just give you a weird look as he tries to lug the box inside the genkan, but otherwise very convenient.
Otsuka’s is subpar? Whew…if I hadn’t relocated to Yokohama, that’s the very one I would’ve been using. Man, Jordan I know what you mean about the “all flash and no substance” gyms. They make your heart sink as soon as you walk in the doors, just not the gym you were looking for at all.
Training at home is never a bad idea. I have yet to get into kettlebell training, but everybody seems to say good stuff about it.
Now this is useful information.
Really glad to hear it, bro!
thanks! cannot believe how hard it is to locate reasonable gyms here
Does anybody know about tattoo policy in the gyms nowadays? I have some, but I am a keen gym-goer and regularly take my children swimming here in the UK. Worried I’m going to be escorted out of the gym!
No tattoos allowed unfortunately.
thank you good info bro
My pleasure, Sam!!
any tips on good out door pull up bars rings etc names of parks in tokyo etc thank you
Great question Sam Soda. I know a pretty ripped dude that does outdoor workout sessions with a crew of people. I’ll try to find out where they usually train. It looks like a pretty nice park.
Shiba koen has a number of pull-up and dip bars and plenty of space for running and cross training, beautiful and convenient location as well.
芝公園
〒105-0011 東京都港区芝公園
https://goo.gl/maps/mRiSdiC3HBo
Here’s a ‘rule’ that was brought to my attention at Gold’s Omiya this evening halfway through my first exercise …no supersets allowed. I’ve been using kettle bells of the step-up box between sets for the past year, and started to do them again this evening when one of the Gold’s “trainers” started to take the weights off the bar to put back. I said I wasn’t finished, and he said I can’t use both the bar and box at the same time. A little discussion followed, and at the end I walked out with a Screw You All feeling. The trainer never heard of HIITs when I told him what I was doing, nor did he care.
To make it short, if you want a real gym, Gold’s Omiya and Gold’s Saitama Super Arena are not the places to go. I hope the other location trainers use a bit of discretion when enforcing the un-written rules, but I highly doubt it.
Hi thejapanguy! Thanks for this info. Very helpful. Can you pay for ‘one off’ casual visits at Golds Gyms in Japan? Im a frequent traveller and really want to get my workout on but of course a membership is not suitable. Thanks in advance..
Outrageous. I pay 20$ a month for a Golds Gym Palm Desert California.
I m going to Japan for only 17 days, but I really don’t want to resign on my training. I m normally training up to 6 days a week, doing mainly weightlifting, deadlifts, squats, bench press and free training, pull ups, push ups and so on. I m a girl and, you could say, heavily tattooed…I read I cant go in an onsen and won’t get a gym membership (which I dont need anyways for my 17 days stay) …but I d like to train, I could cover up wearing long sleeve and so on… what do you say? Any experience/recommandations? Would it even be possible to pay cash for a one time session eg. is there any free trial?
You are quite correct about the tattoos. Almost every city and municipality have gyms for the citizens. They can be used on a per ticket basis. It would be anything like a golds, but enough to tide you over til your return to regular place of training. As far as trail membership….have not seen much of that either.
Several of the major cities have publications in English for local non-japanese population. A forum on one of those might lead to more definitive information.
17 days, lucky you!
osaka gold gym one day pass?
Every gym has different promotions (unfortunately) but there are Gold’s Gyms that do free trials. I would imagine if it’s in a bigger city like Osaka, that they would, but I’ve never been to Osaka Gold’s before.
Hey all. I’m a gym freak like most here and going to spend few days in Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara.
Read through all replies (vert helpful) as i was lost with mostly only Japanese sites..
Finally
gold gym seems best go…? Do they do daily pass and average cost…? Please help
Thanks
You could try giving Anytime Fitness a try. They have a lot of locations in Japan and the world. They have a day pass for about 600 yen I believe, but you need to bring your passport and knowing some Japanese will help with the process. Other than that, if you’re already a member, then you can get in without paying extra. Also, they’re open 24 hours! But the day pass is only allowed during working hours.
Agree with this. Also, if you register in the US, you can use any gym in Japan (and pay the monthly US membership, instead of the more expensive Japanese one). The only catch is that you’d have to wait ~30 days after the initial registration for your key to be able to access overseas gyms.
At $40/month for the American membership, it’s quite a bit cheaper than the Japanese Anytime Fitness /Gold’s Gym monthly membership fee.
Are those station names train stations, not subway? I can’t find the listed Yurakucho Station (JR) on the railway lines map but its on the subway route map
Hi, do you happen to know whether there are any gyms in Kochi City, Japan that I can resume bodybuilding activities during my short 2 weeks stay?
I have been in Japan for a month now and have had a lot of trouble finding a place to work out. I am glad for your article on Gold’s gyms in Japan and in English. It seems there is not much up in the Chiba area. I am living in Yachio and the closest place I could see was maybe 4-5 miles away. Sadly, it did not seem to be a 24 hr gym. I abhor working out with all the protocols that I have to remember. Shoes on til outside the dressing room then slippers to locker, then workout shoes hand carried outside locker area before actually putting them on. But, thats the best I found in this smaller enclave. I am also happy to know that you have info on learning Japanese. I am headed for that task next. My locale is dictated by a lady friend (isn’t that often the case) so I doubt I can move here way of life closer to some health club just yet. I am working on a book and being in a foreign country puts me in the mental space needed to write everyday. I read a couple of your articles and find it is what I need to mentally adjust to this planet, Nippon. I’ll be reading more as I evolve. Take care. Tom (a U of O duck outside his mileau)
My son in law is coming to Japan for two weeks. If he doesn’t have a Gym to work out daily he will have a melt down…Does Gold’s Gym have a system where we can buy tickets or a plan for visitors?
In Tokyo for a couple of weeks visiting. I went to the Gold’s Gym in Harajuku and was immediately turned away at the check-in desk because of of the tattoo on my forearm. I get the stigma here in Japan. But it’s Gold’s Gym!
Yeah the whole tatoo bullshit here is STUPID. Instead of them having the balls to say “no yakuza allowed” they go and target everyone with tatoos.
That’s why it is the way it is.
Yeah the tattoo thing is really hard here. I was publicly shamed for having one, which was so sad because it’s a flower in memory of a family member who passed. So there is no where a tattooed person can workout at a gym? I’m just looking for a place to swim. Any ideas? I live here now, so I’d really like to find something. Sorry if this question was answered somewhere.