Anytime Fitness (Kagurazaka Branch)

A 24-Hour Gym for Busy Fitness Folks

Fitness is something very important to me. Working in a fast-paced city makes it quite difficult to make time for the gym. Luckily though, I discovered Anytime Fitness and I can work out any time I want. There are around 90 branches all over Tokyo and they usually have promos like pay 0 JPY for the first two months and get a half of on your 3rd month (not a bad deal at all). Once you are a member, you can use any branch around Japan; just make sure to bring your card. I registered at the Kagurazaka branch (Shinjuku-ku) and I was glad there was somebody who could speak English. This particular branch is mostly filled with machines and free-hand weights, plus a mat area where you can stretch. There are dressing rooms, lockers, a vending machine and shower rooms, which have shampoo, body soap and a hair dryer. Also, if you forget to bring a towel, you can rent one for only 100 JPY. Though there are a lot of machines and equipment, the place is quite tight. It gets full usually after work (from around 8PM-10PM) and I've experienced not being able to get on any treadmill as they were all occupied. Sometimes, lines get too long for the shower, too. Recently, management addressed this by allowing women to use the men's bathrooms, just as long as there are 2 other vacant bathrooms (there's only 1 for women and 3 for men). Nevertheless, I am satisfied with this gym. The staff that helped me with my registration was moved to a different branch, but even if the rest of the staff cannot speak English, they are all very friendly and try their best to communicate. I guess they are used to it, too, as a lot of foreigners work out here. Other things to take note of if you plan to sign up at Anytime Fitness: 1. They allow foreigners but if you have tattoos, make sure to cover them to respect Japanese culture. 2. Bring your gym shoes and change only upon arrival. They will not allow you to use your outdoor shoes in the gym area. 3. Although the gym is open for 24 hours, the staff are around from 11 AM to 8PM only. If you want to sign up, come over during those hours only. 4. If you have a friend who is not a member but would like to use the gym, they can pay 500 JPY a day, given that they come during staff hours. 5. Not all branches offer the same things. I went to a different branch and I was surprised that they did not have shampoo, soap and towels. If you're going to sign up, have a look first before you decide. 5. It's pretty flexible even for your own membership. If, for example, you are going on vacation for a month, you can freeze your membership during that time and pay around 1000 JPY. And even if your membership is frozen, you can do the same as previously mentioned in #4-- come by during staff hours and pay 500 JPY.