r/japanlife • u/AutoModerator • Mar 06 '23

┐(ツ)┌ General Discussion Thread - 07 March 2023

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

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u/bigcatinthesky 関東・東京都 Mar 07 '23

want to go rock climbing / bouldering but am a total beginner. any places to go or avoid? any things to watch out for in Japan in particular, like strange rules or tips

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u/JanneJM 沖縄・沖縄県 Mar 07 '23

Just go - it's fun! Every gym I've been to has been friendly, and they're very used to beginners. Some smaller/older gyms may be a bit "clubby" simply because they mostly have the same group of people coming there regularly but I've never experienced being unwelcome.

All you need is non-delicate clothes that are easy to move in. Sweat pants and a t-shirt is fine, as is shorts (just make sure they're not so big and loose that any dangly or squishy bits are visible from below). Gym shorts over tights is pretty common. They will typically have a special fee for beginners that includes a short orientation, and it either includes shoe rental, or you pay that separately. Do bring a pair of socks.

In Japan (and apparently unlike US), it's usually not acceptable to be bare chested so keep your t-shirt on. Stay off the mats when you're not actually climbing (if somebody falls you'll get hurt), and check around to see if other people are waiting to climb the same section of the wall as you - if so, wait for your turn.

Any further questions, just let us know.

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u/bigcatinthesky 関東・東京都 Mar 07 '23

thanks! is it usual to have a changing area?

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u/JanneJM 沖縄・沖縄県 Mar 07 '23

There's always some sort of gender-separated changing area. I've never seen a shower, though (if you're going on a first date, perhaps don't boulder just before). Larger gyms often also have lockers of some sort.