market report: japan
CONFRONTING ADVERSITY
DAVID MINTON REPORTS ON THE SITUATION IN JAPAN ONE YEAR ON FROM THE TSUNAMI
TOKYO T
he most iconic and famous wood-block print by Hokusai, the renowned Japanese artist, is The Great Wave, or Under the Wave off Kanagawa as it was properly titled. Now around 200 years old, the image
shows the sea’s huge swell engulfing the fishermen’s skiff. At 3.41pm on 11 March 2011, Hokusai’s image took on
a whole new meaning and immediate symbolism. A 40- foot wave, triggered by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake just under an hour earlier, started to come ashore along the north-east coast of Japan. Eyewitnesses recorded events as they happened, and the world watched in horror the scale of devastation caused by the tsunami. The death toll would surpass 16,000 and over 170,000 people were to be evacuated. Around 100,000 of these people remain unsure when or if they can return home.
INDUSTRY RESPONSE
In a bid to help to fellow citizens, sports- and fitness-related organisations launched a swift response to the events that unfurled on that fateful weekend. Mr Fujiwara, chair of the Fitness Industry Association Japan (FIAJ) – who is also president of The Bigsports Co, one of the top eight brands affected – helped raise over 10 million Yen (£81,500) immediately. These funds were boosted by member collections at clubs all over Japan, as well as other fundraising activities which are still ongoing. Money raised in this way has been used as a temporary relief fund so freelance instructors, part-time employees and freelance personal trainers, without buildings to work in, could
The tsunami hit north-east Japan and killed over 16,000 people
support those stoically trying to keep their lives together while at the same time queuing for basic necessities. Other organisations were also quick to respond:
Professor Yoshiyuki Mano from Waseda University established a new organisation to help channel support and offers of help from both professional and amateur sports people who wanted to work with displaced people within the disaster area. The well-established Sasakawa Sports Foundation also dispatched colleagues to the disaster area to join volunteers from across Japan, all united in the relief effort, to help rebuild the devastated towns and lives. One year on, the scale of support and aid the wider
sports and fi tness industry has provided to survivors – many of whom are refugees in their own country – is a tribute to Japan’s spirit. Over 300 fi tness clubs suffered some initial damage, although around half of these re-opened within a few weeks or months. Many of the remaining clubs were found to have some structural damage and were forced to undertake a combination of rebuilding, refurbishment and re-stocking, which has taken most of the year to complete.
STATUS REPORT
From the top eight fitness brands in Japan, which collectively have a membership of more than double the top eight brands in the UK, only three clubs have been completely
Japan’s sport and fi tness industry has helped refugees to keep exercising, even without club facilities
60 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital april 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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