Fitness gyms offering a variety of physical exercise programs for children are doing well despite declining adult membership in the midst of the economic slowdown that has hit the country over the past few years.
One 35-year-old housewife sends her second-grader daughter and 5-year-old son to take "junior dance" lessons on weekends at a gym in Yokohama run by major exercise club operator Tipness Ltd.
"I want my children to take lessons despite the costly fees," she said. "I juggle household expenses by curbing spending on dining out and asking my husband to put up with it."