PROJECT
『 Z-FIGHTER'S GYM 』
Term: 2017.05.01 ～ 2022.02.18
Location: JAPAN
GIFU, KASAMATSU・HYOGO, SHISO・HYOGO, KASAI
HOKKAIDO, WASSAMU ➞ 「DEATH GYM」
Origin & Catalyst
At the end of 2016, prioritizing my daughter’s future, I left active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps to establish a permanent life in Japan. Moving to the mainland with a young child while still learning the language, I initially lived a quiet, solitary existence. Yet across Okinawa, Gifu, Aichi, Hyogo, and Tokyo, I met generous friends and mentors who guided us through unfamiliar ground. During that period, I came to understand the practical meaning of the Okinawan proverb, Ichariba Chōde—“once we meet, we are family”.
I soon saw that many of my working peers wanted to train but were constrained by grueling work hours and an utter lack of affordable 24-hour gyms in their towns. Wanting to build a place where we could train together, and determined to repay the goodwill shown to my family, I decided to build a 24-hour gym myself. I had little patience for commercial gyms charging steep monthly fees for mediocre equipment. To back local youth and working families directly, I set the base membership at an absolute floor of 625円 per month.
Overview
For nearly five years, I directed my energy toward four things: building lasting friendships, learning the Japanese language and cultural landscape, being an attentive father, and providing rural communities with clean, disciplined 24-hour training facilities at minimal cost. The project was an active, practical expression of gratitude for the support my daughter and I received across Japan.
The project came to a close in February 2022. After years of running multiple rural branches entirely on my own, I was physically worn down when sudden official U.S. government obligations required my immediate departure from Japan. I had no reliable local management capable of maintaining facility standards while I was away. More importantly, I had grown unwilling to tolerate the bad faith of certain members who treated our community goodwill and house rules with contempt. My primary duty was the stable upbringing of my daughter. Sacrificing personal well-being for an environment that disregarded basic respect made no sense, so I systematically closed and liquidated the project.
Mission
Tangible Outcomes for Society
// Across five years, provided more than 5,000 members with access to well-equipped, affordable 24-hour training facilities. Granted free memberships to youth under eighteen and permitted parents to bring children under fourteen at no charge, providing direct relief to working households. Dues were maintained below 625円 per month (~$4/month), the lowest rate in Japan.
// Deliberately built each gym in rural interior towns to revitalize depopulating communities and encourage young families to settle in lower-cost regions, investing over 44,000,000円 directly into local economies with zero debt.
// Eliminated predatory contracts, hidden clauses, and cancellation penalties; members retained complete freedom to renew or leave at will. Strictly enforced codes of conduct—specifically prohibiting romantic and sexual activities—which curbed short-term revenue but ensured an environment built on transparency, integrity, and mutual respect.
// Proved that despite real hurdles—living as a foreign resident with limited Japanese proficiency, raising a daughter as a single father, and entering rural communities with zero pre-existing ties—one can overcome social friction and build lasting community infrastructure.
Tangible Outcomes for My Daughter & Future Children
// Chose self-employment over corporate employment or remaining in federal service, securing complete schedule control to step away from work whenever my daughter fell ill or required care.
// Operating local gyms integrated me directly into the civic life of the community, building enduring friendships that provided an invaluable, steady environment for my daughter.
// Rigorously analyzed the realities of daily life across rural towns, suburbs, and cities, allowing me to identify the optimal environment for our family and purchase our residential and commercial property in Wassamu, Hokkaido, completely debt-free.
// Continuous immersion in high-context cultural environments developed my Japanese proficiency and cultural discernment, while forcing me to confront personal blind spots and correct them before they could affect my daughter’s future.
// Poured total effort into the project without borrowing, acquiring debt-free commercial equipment and property capable of supporting future undertakings.
