There is a gym in Ishigaki (Okinawa) that is open to tourists and short-term visitors to the area. Better yet, you can train there for free! Here are all the details.
Where is it?
It’s in what I guess you’d call the city center. I traveled by taxi from Grandvrio Resort Ishigaki; it was around 15 minutes from there and the fare was 1,300 yen. (Taxis in Ishigaki seem to be a lot cheaper compared with those on the mainland).
How much does it cost?
Short-term visitors: You can train at this gym up to three times for free!
Opening Hours
18:00 – 22:00 (Mon-Fri), 10:00 – 22:00 (Sat), 10:00 – 19:00 (Sun).
I can only assume that the owner has a job, and then opens his gym when he gets home. Be sure to contact the owner first – you can contact him via his website here or on 090‐8291‐3465. I think he only speaks Japanese. Try making an inquiry via the website using Google translate or the like.
How are the facilities and atmosphere?
OK, so here’s the catch. It’s not actually a gym… it’s a small garage/shed in somebody’s back yard. I’d estimate it’s around 5 x 5 meters in size if that. There’s probably only enough room for 3-4 people to train at once.
Equipment: Although the space is extremely limited, there is almost everything you need for a proper workout. There is a power rack, bench press, dumbbells, another rack with adjustable bench, pullup bar, and a machine on which you can do lat pulldowns, rows, tricep extensions, etc. with various attachments.
Other facilities: There’s a small fridge you can put your bottled water in. That’s about it.
Atmosphere: When I got there, I didn’t see any sign of the owner. Maybe he was in the house on the same land as the shed? I tried calling the owner on his phone, but he didn’t answer… Anyway, I just tried to open the door and there were already two other people in there – both Japanese tourists from Tokyo who were also on holiday in Ishigaki and wanted to have a workout. So I just proceeded to work out.
Conclusion
It was an interesting experience – taking a taxi to some random shed and training there. I can’t find any other gyms in Ishigaki, so if you’re on holiday and you want to get a basic workout in, then I suggest you try to contact the owner of this gym and let him know you want to come and work out!
Have you been to this gym? Leave a comment and let us know what you thought!
Do you know any other gyms in Okinawa suitable for short-term visitors? Submit a gym review!