Man Who Put Nameplate on Bench Press Legally Granted Residency Rights—Rest Between Sets Exceeds 2,000 Hours

The Tokyo District Court on the 22nd dismissed a request for an eviction order filed by a gym against a male member (34) who had been occupying a bench press station at a 24-hour fitness gym in Tokyo for over three months. In the ruling, the presiding judge stated that “even if the interval (rest) is extremely long, the intention to continue training cannot be denied,” and gave significant weight to the living environment the man had established around the bench, making the unusual determination that “de facto residency rights have arisen.”

The incident began in September this year when the man claimed he needed “sufficient recovery time to challenge his maximum weight” and refused to leave the bench press station. What was initially thought to be a rest of a few minutes extended to several hours, then several days, until finally he was hanging laundry on hangers from the rack’s support posts and had installed a rice cooker on the safety bars. The gym repeatedly demanded his departure, but the man countered, “I’m still in the middle of my first set. I’m listening to my muscles,” and continued his lifestyle of receiving beef bowls he ordered via UberEats while gripping the barbell.

The deciding factor in the ruling was the wooden nameplate the man had hung on the rack’s support posts and the mail that had been delivered there. The court recognized that “the fact that postal workers can deliver without hesitation is proof that the location functions as a ‘residential address’ in the common understanding of society.” Furthermore, against the backdrop of the severe housing shortage and soaring rents in central Tokyo, the court offered its own interpretation: “Obtaining an environment with shelter from the elements, a shower, and a water fountain for the gym membership fee (7,980 yen per month) is a form of survival strategy based on economic rationality.”

In response to this ruling, the plaintiff, major gym chain “Muscle Estate,” abandoned its appeal and completely reversed its policy. At a press conference, the company spokesperson announced, “We will treat Mr. Suzuki (the man) not as a member but as a tenant.” Going forward, instead of monthly membership fees, they will charge rent aligned with neighboring market rates (approximately 80,000 yen), and will enter negotiations demanding payment of security deposit, key money, and renewal fees. Additionally, barbell usage fees are expected to be added as furnishing fees for a “furnished property.”

Experts have raised concerns about the ripple effects this ruling could bring. Real estate consultant Mr. R. Cattle Nagata pointed out, “The significance of the judiciary recognizing that station-adjacent gyms with showers and 24-hour security can be inhabited at less cost than a capsule hotel is profound.” Already online, there is a movement to call power racks “1LDK (1-Lifting Dining Kitchen),” and there are fears that applicants hoping to move into squat racks and lat pulldown machines will flood in, starting a new battle not for “saving spots” but for “claiming territory.” The place for training muscles is gradually transforming into a place for training one’s lifestyle.

Stakeholder Comments

• The man who gained residency rights: “I’m planning to start my next set around 2026. There’s no need to rush.”
• Gym manager: “Every time he rolls over, the plates clang. That’s just ambient noise now.”
• Attorney (plaintiff’s side): “I never imagined the boundary between rest and residence would be determined by where a protein shaker dries.”
• Presiding judge: “The law protects the weak, but it never said it protects the muscular. However, home is where you make it.”
• UberEats delivery person: “It was the first time I had ‘under the bench press’ as a delivery destination, but I had no trouble finding it.”
• Member at the adjacent rack: “I lifted to the rhythm of his snoring and hit a personal best.”
• Real estate agent: “‘Free weights’ shouldn’t mean ‘rent-free’…”
• Barbell (estimated 100kg): “I never thought I’d spend more time being used as a clothesline than as a weight.”
• Ministry of Land official: “We will establish a committee to examine whether bench press stations can be recognized as ’living quarters’ under the Building Standards Act.”
• Pectoral muscles: “Are we still resting? I’d like to move sometime soon.”

International Expressions

Haiku

• Iron bar beneath / A futon draped across it / Winter hibernation
• A short rest, they said / Seasons change, and now at last / Springtime has arrived
• Residency rights / Heavier than the barbell / Upon the iron rack
• Living at the gym / My address is Rack Number / Three, in the weight room
• Sweat-soaked dwelling place / My home is here, I declare / Castle made of steel
• Protein shaker left / In place of a proper sign / December arrives
• The court has ruled now / Between sets means forever / Justice has spoken
• Security fee / I’ll pay it with my muscles / Year’s end approaches
• Waiting for muscles / To fully recover now / New Year passes by
• Rental agreement / Lighter than these iron plates / The contract wavers

Kanji / Chinese Characters

東京地裁判決 男器具占拠是認 休憩三月超継続 台下生活実態有 郵便配達員容認 会費家賃化交渉 敷金礼金請求へ

Emoji

🏋️‍♂️🛑🛋️💤📝⚖️👨‍⚖️🏠🔑🥪🚴‍♂️

Onomatopoeia

CLANG, ZZZZZ… DING-DONG, “Yes, UberEats here.” CLATTER-CLATTER, SIGH… THUD, MUNCH-MUNCH. KNOCK-KNOCK, “Excuse me, about the rent.” SILENCE…

SNS

• #IntervalResidencyRights
• You mean living at the gym makes rent basically free?!
• The bench press is now treated as an accident property lmao
• 3 months until the next set is beyond grass-growing territory
• Theory: A bench press in central Tokyo has more space than a studio apartment
• My gym has a “master” too but I never thought it’d be legally recognized
• Can I pay the security deposit with 2kg of protein powder?
• It’s not “going to the gym” anymore—it’s “living at the gym”
• Apparently squat racks count as loft apartments because of the ceiling height
• #SimpleLife #LivingWithABenchPress