Are You Hesitant to Exercise Because of Others? Solo Workout Boom in Private Rooms Spreads in Japan [Can I Do It Alone] ③

From Fitness to Team Sports, Solo Participation Now Possible
Single-Person Sports Services Are Evolving
Rapid Growth Since the COVID-19 Pandemic
Popular for Flexibility in Time and Partners

Editor's NoteWe are now living in an era of 8 million single-person households. In Korea, the proportion of single-person households stands at 36% of all households, higher than Japan's 34%. However, there is widespread sentiment that services for people living alone are lacking. How should we prepare for this change? By looking at the diverse services in neighboring Japan, which has long prepared for the rise in single-person households, we aim to explore what we have not yet tried.

"Do you feel self-conscious about others' gazes when working out at the gym? Is it difficult to use equipment when you want because it's always occupied?"

The exterior of Japan's single-person gym franchise, Private Boxfit. Various exercise equipment is provided in individual rooms. Private Boxfit.

This is a promotional phrase from Japan's single-person gym franchise, Private Boxfit. Upon entering, you are greeted with a scene completely different from a typical gym. Instead of a wide, open space filled with people exercising, you find a hallway lined with multiple rooms. Only after opening a door do you discover a workout space with a full-length mirror installed on the wall. Each individual room is packed with exercise equipment, embodying the concept of a single-person gym. The ability to exercise without worrying about others' attention has made it popular, with 85 locations nationwide and 90,000 members.

In Japan, a variety of single-person sports services are on the rise. Regardless of genre or the usual number of players, people can enjoy sports like golf, baseball, table tennis, and tennis alone. Recently, single-person gyms like Private Boxfit have begun spreading nationwide. Various single-person gym franchises are opening one after another in different regions.

Introduction video of Private BoxFit, a one-person gym. When you open each room and enter, a gym for individual use is prepared. Private BoxFit.

Hakojim, which started in Hiroshima and now has 31 locations nationwide, offers time-based rentals of private rooms for workouts. Targeting office workers and students who want to combine work and exercise, each room is equipped with a desk and chair, allowing for work or simple meetings after exercising. They also provide an artificial intelligence (AI) trainer service: if you enter your workout goals and weight into their smartphone application, the AI creates a one-hour workout plan. A virtual trainer appears in the wall-mounted mirror to guide your training session.

A TBS reporter is experiencing training with an AI trainer in a private room at the one-person gym chain 'Hakojim'. TBS.

Among single-person sports services popular across all age groups is "single-person golf." In Japan, many golf course reservation services offer dedicated pages for solo bookings. Without joining a club or group, you can select your preferred golf course online at available times. Leading providers include Rakuten's Rakuten Gora and Hitorigolf Land. These services promote solo reservations for times when "you want to book a round but can't find anyone to go with" or "you suddenly want to play golf on a day off." The cost for a morning round at a golf course near Tokyo is about 50,000 to 80,000 won (KRW) per person.

Reservation screen of the single-player golf reservation service 'Rakuten Gora'. You can select your preferred time and location to participate alone. Rakuten Gora.

Even sports that typically require a partner, such as table tennis and tennis, are increasingly being offered as single-person services. These businesses provide machines that launch balls at various speeds, allowing solo reservations as if you have an opponent. Instead of practicing by hitting balls against a wall, you can enjoy a match against a machine.

For tennis, 60 to 80 balls are launched per session. At Setagaya Sports Plaza in Setagaya, Tokyo, 300 yen (about 2,800 won) gets you a session with 65 balls. The tennis blog "Tennis Bear" explains that these automatic tennis courts are popular among beginners because "even if you miss a swing, you don't have to worry about being watched by others or teammates, which increases demand more than expected."

The table tennis franchise Smart Taqy Gym places every table in a separate room, allowing customers to focus on their workout without worrying about others. For solo players, they offer single-person machine tables, enabling over 100 types of solo practice routines. You simply make a reservation through the app and enjoy table tennis alone, without any face-to-face interaction.

A single-player table tennis space set up at the table tennis franchise "Smart Taqy Gym." It allows a person to play table tennis alone with balls coming out of the machine. Smart Taqy Gym.

There are also services for enjoying and practicing baseball alone. At Baseball Gym in Yokohama, a coach acts as a partner for positions like catcher, pitcher, or "knocker" (the person who hits balls for fielding practice) for one hour. For 1,500 yen (about 13,950 won) per hour, the coach throws or hits balls as needed. The "knocker" position, which involves hitting balls for infielders and outfielders, is usually handled by a team coach or manager, but here, a professional coach takes on the role by the hour, ensuring stable practice. In addition, everything from soft batting machines to machines that allow you to wear actual baseball spikes for a more realistic experience is available for solo use.

Kaiyusha, a planning agency producing financial and life-planning content, analyzed that these single-person sports have spread rapidly since the pandemic. Kaiyusha stated, "In the past, being alone was associated with loneliness and negativity, but since the pandemic, it has come to mean enjoying a variety of activities solo." They added, "Even in ball sports that were considered impossible to play alone, services are emerging that make it possible. Going forward, single-person services will continue to expand not only in sports but also in various fields, allowing people to participate at their own pace."