Orangetheory Fitness Announces Japan Expansion
Purpose Brands announced plans for a major expansion of Orangetheory Fitness in Japan. The master franchisor, Orangetheory Japan Co., Ltd., signed a 10-year renewal agreement with the goal of expanding the brand to 100 studios across the country.
This new 10-year agreement builds upon a partnership that first introduced Orangetheory to Japan a decade ago. The initial master franchise deal, signed in 2016, aimed to open 70 studios across the country. The renewal plans to add 86 new locations, expanding the brand's footprint to over 100 studios. The expansion is being driven by master franchisor Orangetheory Japan Co., Ltd., which is part of the portfolio of a company named ITS Co., Ltd. Led by Chairman Kunikazu Okubo and CEO Takamasa Okubo, ITS Co., Ltd. also operates in the telecommunications and restaurant industries. The first new studios are slated to open in and around Tokyo, with future locations planned for Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, and Nagoya. This move taps into Japan's growing fitness market, which was valued at over $2.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach over $5.1 billion by 2032. There is a rising demand for boutique fitness studios and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, particularly in urban centers like Tokyo. Orangetheory's parent company is Purpose Brands, a global portfolio of health and wellness franchises formed in 2024 from the merger of Orangetheory and Self Esteem Brands, the parent of Anytime Fitness. The combined entity operates over 7,000 locations in more than 40 countries, serving approximately six million members. In the Japanese market, Orangetheory competes with other HIIT-focused studios like the Australian franchise F45 Training and various CrossFit boxes. The expansion also positions it within a broader landscape of 24/7 convenience gyms like Anytime Fitness and luxury fitness clubs.
