Anytime Fitness to open in Japan

Hastings, Minn. Fitness club chain Anytime Fitness said Tuesday that it has forged an agreement to expand the chain into Japan.

The master franchisee agreement for Japan comes just weeks after Anytime Fitness announced plans to open clubs in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

According to the company, the recent overseas deals, combined with 300 new club openings in the United States in two years, has put it on pace to open its 2,000th club by the end of next year.

Anytime Fitness Japan is led by Toru Yamazaki, former CEO of Megalos, the fifth largest health club chain in Japan.

"We fully expect that Anytime Fitness will reinvigorate the Japanese market with its convenient and affordable fitness offering," said Yamazaki.

The first Anytime Fitness gym is slated to open in Tokyo this September. Yamazaki said the group expects to have 30 open by 2012.