Are you looking for Japanese fitness influencers to promote your brand? Many people in Japan feel like their fitness levels have gone down due to spending more time at home and having busy schedules. Those who want to exercise by themself at home may not feel motivated, or may not be sure what to do. In this article, we’ll introduce 10 popular Instagram accounts by fitness influencers in Japan showcasing exercise videos, and we’ll also look at Japanese influencers’ brand campaigns they’ve run.
In 2024, Japan’s fitness industry is expected to be worth about ¥700 billion ($4.7 billion USD), growing from ¥650 billion ($4.36 billion USD) in 2023. This growth is due to more people working from home and becoming more health-conscious, making fitness a part of their lifestyle. There’s been an increase in people going to gyms and fitness clubs, especially affordable ones popular among young people and fitness beginners of all ages.
Social media, especially Instagram, and YouTube, have played an important role in this growth, inspiring and motivating people of all ages to improve their fitness.
Top 10 Japanese Fitness Instagram Influencers 2024
1. Takemari
Instagram: 854K followers
YouTube: 3.8M subscribers
Marina Takewaki is Japan’s most popular fitness and gym influencer. Better known as Takemari, she is a Japanese YouTuber, fitness instructor, and director of the home workout brand ‘MARINESS’. She also has a large presence on Instagram. With a passion for health and wellness, she shares videos on workouts at home and posts diet recipes encouraging a balanced lifestyle. Supported by her husband Darwin, they make staying active fun and accessible, under the motto “Learn to love yourself more!”.
From yoga to dance workouts to high-intensity workouts, her positive energy boosts followers’ motivations to prioritise their well-being.
Recently, her brand MARINESS collaborated with the sportswear brand FILA, launching training shoes that can be used both for indoor and outdoor training.
2. SHIHO
Instagram: 755K followers
A model and wellness advocate, SHIHO is a popular influencer and TV personality in Japan who shares her experience in health & beauty, sports, and fashion & lifestyle on Instagram. Her posts include healthy recipes, videos of workouts including kickboxing and pilates, and collaborations with clothing brands. With her youthful look, friendly vibe and uplifting comments to inspire her audience, she creates a supportive community focused on self-improvement.
SHIHO has worked with several local clothing brands for women in their 40-50s including DAMA, NAVE and jiyuku.
3. Aya Fitness
Instagram: 457K followers
After completing a sports science degree at university, Aya became a fitness model, gym brand producer, and ambassador for fitness-related brands. She’s earned her position as one of the most famous fitness influencers in Japan who also appears on TV, with many Japanese celebrities training under her wing. Her training video series on Instagram, “Workout at home” which she started during the stay-at-home period has helped tens of thousands of people in Japan exercise and stay fit with her.
Recently, she posted a video of her wearing running shoes made by a collaboration between the jewellery brand TIFFANY & Co. and shoewear brand New Balance.
4. Maya Miyagawa
Instagram: 361K followers
Maya Miyagawa is a fitness model and TV personality in Japan. Born to a Dutch father and a Japanese mother in the Netherlands, she started her life in Japan as a model after moving to Japan at age 2. Throughout her career, she has appeared in several Japanese TV programs, ads, and magazines.
On her Instagram account, she shares her journey to a healthy lifestyle with workouts, healthy meals, and motivation. She is known for her back workouts, given the title ‘back line trainer’, attracting followers with her beauty and grace.
Maya has collaborated with many clothing and healthy food brands including ESTIVANT, Ajinomoto (supplement “aminoVITAL”) and Danone (yoghurt “Oikos”).
5. Yuki Sorci
Instagram: 359K followers
Yuki is an Instagram influencer and CEO of his own apparel brand, Evolife Apparel. He’s known as a professional MMA fighter and for his gym and modelling posts, which show his impressive physique, which won him the USBB All Japan Men’s Physique contest in 2016.
Yuki has worked closely with fitness-related brands such as the popular supplement brand Yava Labs and fitness apparel brand Vanquish Fitness.
6. Maiko Tanoue
Instagram: 261K followers
YouTube: 119K subscribers
Maiko is a fitness trainer who worked as an ordinary company employee until 2015, when she transitioned into a personal trainer and was introduced as a “superwoman” under the nickname “Mai-Ti” in various Japanese media, such as TV and magazines.
Since then, she has been sharing content on Instagram and her YouTube channel “Maiko Tagami’s Body Make University” (100K+ subscribers), including training methods, diet and advice on body make. Her charm and content covering topics in a practical manner have made her a popular fitness influencer.
She is sponsored by several fitness-related brands such as supplement brand Kentai, apparel brands LYFT and Vanquish Fitness, and fitness belt brand Guardner Belt.
7. Risako Tanabe
Instagram: 218K followers
Risako is a parkour athlete and fitness trainer who became famous from the Japanese reality TV show “Terrace House”. She is 4’9’’ tall and despite being small, she is super energetic and jumps between buildings with acrobatic movements like a Ninja. Not just a cute face, her well-trained and healthy body is a dream for female fans.
Aside from becoming Nike’s Official Trainer, she has promoted brands such as the protein brand X-PLOSION, E-commerce platform Temu and personal care brand Gillette.
8. Justine Kurihara
Instagram: 148K followers
YouTube: 25.6K subscribers
Justine is an American-Japanese lifestyle model. She won second place at the ‘Best Body Japan 2015’ award, which showcases healthy lifestyles and beautiful bodies. She’s also the founder and designer of her own fashion brand, Schellin. Currently, Justine is expecting her second child with her husband, an American football player. She’s been involved in projects that advocate a lifestyle where women do not give up sports, even during pregnancy, inspiring women of similar ages.
Justine recently promoted the global oral hygiene brand Oral-B, mentioning how she has been using the brand’s toothbrush since her parents’ generation.
9. miyako
Instagram: 91.6K followers
YouTube: 167K subscribers
A fitness YouTuber, mother and owner of a personal gym ‘Mint Gym’ for women, Miyako shares various content targeted at women and beginners in muscle training, as well as videos on bodybuilding based on her experience competing in the All Japan Fit Model Championship.
She recently became the ambassador for a home fitness brand ByZoom Fitness, promoting their home fitness products in an Instagram video post. She has also promoted non-fitness brands such as Heineken.
10. Chinami
Instagram: 85.8K followers
Chinami is a beauty advisor and diet coach specialising in stretching and self-massage. She supports strong willpower and a healthy mindset, which leads to dieting success. Her lessons are fully booked for the next 6 months, and every time a book is published, it becomes a hot topic. These days she’s been frequently posting stretch videos that people can easily try at home.
She used to be an aesthetician so she actively shares products from many beauty brands, including but not limited to tie-ups. Recently she shared a video explaining how to use a beauty steamer for the Japanese beauty and personal care brand YA-MAN.
Conclusion
Japan’s fitness influencers offer great opportunities for foreign businesses wanting to break into the Japanese market. These top 10 influencers have many loyal followers and maintain high engagement rates by sharing helpful fitness tips in areas like yoga, weightlifting, and cardio.
If you’re considering selling your products or services in Japan, partnering with these influencers is a wise move They’re trusted experts, and as more people in Japan prioritise health, their influence continues to grow. Insights gained from these partnerships can also inform your marketing strategies and product development to align with the preferences and trends of Japanese consumers.
Feel free to contact us today to learn more about how we can help connect your brand with Japan’s top fitness influencers, and boost your business in the Japanese market!
