Tokyo is the home of many things; anime, electronics, and gaming. So it comes as no surprise that it’s where you’ll find the first esports gym in Japan.
Being the country of origin for PlayStation and Nintendo, Japan really is crazy about games. Not only have they literally established their own genres and created games that entertained us during our childhood, but their national games industry consistently pumps out some of the world’s best titles.
As the gaming industry grows, so too does esports, with some tournaments rivalling the F1 or NBA in terms of prize pools and viewership. It was only a matter of time before esports gyms became a thing, and you can count on Japan to have done it first.
Literally named ‘esports GYM’, this brand new facility was developed by Tokyo Metro and Gecipe, which produces training videos on esports. It’s not a large building by any means, given that it only takes up a single floor – but it does its job. The gym houses 12 top-of-the-art computers equipped with a keyboard, mouse, headphones, and a high-backed rolling chair.
There’s also an open area where registered gamers can take their breaks. To top things off, esports GYM is conveniently situated near the third entrance for the Akabane-iwabuchi station, so gamers can easily access the space.
Anyone interested in the gym is able to sign up and pay a monthly fee of about 5,500 yen – much like your everyday, conventional gym. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gamer, because this Tokyo gym accepts everyone.
What’s more, just as typical gyms have personal trainers, this esports gym provides actual, professional gamers to train members of the gym. As the ultimate goal is for the facility to train the next generation of esports competitors, there’s added benefits too.
If you choose to do the online course, you are eligible to participate in tryouts. People that pass that test will then be registered into a professional team and can aim to become a player in the pro-gaming world.
In further good news for those in Japan, this premiere Tokyo esports gym will have free entry upon its launch on May 19th. You can read the full details from the press release on the ‘Esports Gym’ here. Or, if you’re running short on time, a shorter version is also available. Just keep in mind that you may need Google Translate handy, as they’re both in Japanese.
Remember to add this to your bucket list of things to do when in Japan.
