How to Find a Place to Train Jiu Jitsu in Tokyo
Many Tokyo BJJ gyms welcome visitors who book ahead. This guide covers drop-in fees, booking, gi and no-gi, and five academies to try across the city.
Published: October 31, 2026
Key takeaways
- Most Tokyo academies take visitors, but they expect you to book ahead by web form, email or LINE before you turn up.
- At the time of writing, a day of training costs ¥3,000 to ¥5,000 at four of the five gyms in this guide, and week passes start at ¥10,000.
- Most Tokyo gyms teach mainly gi and rent gis for ¥1,000 to ¥2,000, so you can travel without one if you need to.
- Carpe Diem Aoyama, Tri-Force Gotanda, Imanari Jiu-Jitsu, ARTA BJJ Hiroo and Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy are five good places to start.
Finding a jiu jitsu gym in Tokyo can feel harder than it should. Academies hide in basements and on upper floors, timetables come as images full of Japanese, and it isn't always clear whether a gym takes visitors at all.
Once you know where to look, though, Tokyo is one of the easiest big cities in the world to train in on a trip. Day passes are affordable, week passes are common, most gyms rent gis, and several have English pages that spell out exactly how to visit.
This guide covers where to train, how booking works, what it costs, how gi and no-gi split, and five academies that make visiting easy.
Where should you train BJJ in Tokyo?
The best Tokyo gym for a visit is usually one on a train line you're already using. Tokyo is huge, but the rail network is so good that an academy two or three stops from your hotel is often quicker to reach than one you could see on a map.
Our Tokyo page currently lists 127 gyms across the city's wards. Central areas such as Minato, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Shinagawa are easiest for most visitors, and Setagaya, west of Shibuya, is a short ride away on the Keio lines.
Many Tokyo gyms are in basements or on upper floors of office buildings, so note the building name and floor along with the address. Most gym websites give the nearest station exit and the walking time, which is the easiest way to find them.
How do you book a drop-in at a Tokyo gym?
Most Tokyo BJJ gyms want to hear from visitors before they arrive. Booking ahead is part of the etiquette, and some academies may turn away a visitor who simply walks in.
Use the gym's own booking route. Carpe Diem Aoyama asks first-time visitors to book through its contact form, Tri-Force Gotanda asks for an email or its visitor form with the date, time and whether you need a rental gi, and ARTA BJJ Hiroo has an online drop-in form. Many gyms also use LINE, Japan's main messaging app.
Check for members-only days. Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy asks visitors from abroad to contact it first, because some days each month are for members only.
Check how to pay. Tri-Force Gotanda takes visitor fees in cash on the day, while ARTA BJJ Hiroo only takes electronic payment, such as cards or a Suica travel card.
Imanari Jiu-Jitsu is the exception among the five gyms in this guide: its site says no reservation is needed to drop in. Not every Tokyo gym takes visitors, so if a site says nothing about visitors, ask before you plan around it.
How much does it cost to train in Tokyo?
At the time of writing, a day of training costs ¥3,000 to ¥5,000 at four of the five Tokyo gyms in this guide. If you're in town for a while, a week pass is better value, and gi rental costs ¥1,000 to ¥2,000.
| Gym | Day | Week | Gi rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpe Diem Aoyama | ¥3,000 | ¥10,000 | ¥1,000, with towel |
| Tri-Force Gotanda | ¥4,000 | ¥12,000 | ¥1,000, with towel |
| ARTA BJJ Hiroo | ¥4,500 | ¥20,000 | ¥2,000, with towel |
| Imanari Jiu-Jitsu | ¥5,000 | ¥30,000 | ¥1,500 |
Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy charges visitors per session and waives its joining fee for visitors from abroad, so ask for the current rate when you get in touch.
Free trial classes are aimed at people who might join. Carpe Diem Aoyama and ARTA BJJ Hiroo each offer one free trial with a rental gi, while Tri-Force Gotanda's free trial is for residents of Japan only.
Do Tokyo gyms teach gi or no-gi?
Most Tokyo academies teach mainly gi, with a few no-gi classes a week. Carpe Diem Aoyama runs one grappling class a week, Tri-Force Gotanda three no-gi classes and ARTA BJJ Hiroo four no-gi sessions.
Imanari Jiu-Jitsu turns that around. Its timetable is mostly no-gi grappling, with gi classes on weekend mornings, which makes it the obvious stop if no-gi is what you train.
If you're training in the gi, wear a rash guard underneath. Carpe Diem's etiquette sheet asks for one and doesn't accept T-shirts, and the usual etiquette for training BJJ while traveling, from arriving early to paying your fee up front, matters here as much as anywhere.
Can you train early or at lunchtime in Tokyo?
You can train before work or at lunchtime in Tokyo, which helps if you're visiting on business. Imanari Jiu-Jitsu starts no-gi classes at 6:30 a.m. every weekday, and ARTA BJJ Hiroo has 7 a.m. technique classes on Monday, Thursday and Friday.
For lunchtime, Carpe Diem Aoyama runs a noon class every weekday and Tri-Force Gotanda an 11 a.m. class every weekday. Evening classes at these gyms finish between about 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.
Five Tokyo gyms to check out
There's no single best academy in Tokyo, but these five are a good place to start. They're well reviewed, clear about how visitors can train, and spread across central and west Tokyo, with gi, no-gi and beginner options between them.
| Gym | Area | Gi or no-gi | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpe Diem Aoyama | Minami-Aoyama, Minato | Mostly gi | Visitors who want English, and complete beginners |
| Tri-Force Gotanda | Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa | Both | Lunchtime training and clear booking in English |
| Imanari Jiu-Jitsu | Yotsuya-sanchome, Shinjuku | Mostly no-gi | No-gi, early risers and drop-ins without booking |
| ARTA BJJ Hiroo | Hiroo, Minato | Both | Early risers and women |
| Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy | Meidaimae, Setagaya | Gi | Visitors who want one of Japan's oldest BJJ schools |
Carpe Diem Aoyama (Minami-Aoyama, Minato)
Carpe Diem Aoyama is the headquarters of the Carpe Diem network, which has dojos across Japan and in several other Asian cities. It's about a seven-minute walk from Omotesando station, an easy hop from Shibuya and Harajuku.
Its English page sets out visitor passes, classes and etiquette, and it's a strong fit for complete beginners. White-belt-only and basics classes run every week, and the site notes that sparring is never compulsory.
Tri-Force Gotanda (Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa)
Tri-Force Gotanda is a seven-minute walk from Gotanda station on the Yamanote line, and it has one of the clearest English visitor pages of any Tokyo gym. It sets out the fees, how to book and what to bring.
It's ideal if you want to train at lunchtime, with an 11 a.m. class every weekday. Introductory classes run on most days, and no-gi classes run three times a week.
Imanari Jiu-Jitsu (Yotsuya-sanchome, Shinjuku)
Imanari Jiu-Jitsu is in a basement three minutes from Yotsuya-sanchome station, and it's the no-gi pick of this guide. Its site is bilingual in Japanese and English.
No-gi grappling starts at 6:30 a.m. every weekday, followed by sparring, and there's a no-gi beginners' class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Some evening classes are for members only, so check the timetable before you go.
ARTA BJJ Hiroo (Hiroo, Minato)
ARTA BJJ Hiroo is the most-reviewed gym in this guide, three minutes from Exit 4 of Hiroo station. It trains on two mats, with separate changing rooms and showers for men and women.
It suits early risers, with 7 a.m. technique classes three days a week, and it runs a women-only Girls' Class four times a week. Fundamentals classes keep sparring to a minimum, and four no-gi sessions run each week. The academy is closed on Tuesdays apart from the evening no-gi class.
Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Meidaimae, Setagaya)
Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy is two minutes from Meidaimae station on the Keio lines, a short ride from Shinjuku or Shibuya. Its site says it opened in 1997 as Gracie Japan, the first official Gracie jiu-jitsu school in the country, and it has English, Portuguese and Japanese pages.
The timetable is all gi, with a basics class open to every belt and separate classes for blue belts and above. It's closed on Tuesdays and Fridays, so plan your visit around that.
How do you find more BJJ gyms in Tokyo?
These five Tokyo gyms are a starting point, not the full picture. There are plenty of other well-reviewed academies across the city, and the right one for your trip might be a few minutes from your hotel.
Our Tokyo page shows all 127 on one map. Every gym on it is open, has Google reviews and has been checked for BJJ at that location.
Pick one or two near your train line, check each gym's site for its visitor policy, and use the same checks for a legit gym you'd use at home.
Final thoughts
Tokyo rewards a little planning. Book ahead, check the timetable for members-only classes and closed days, and bring a rash guard, and most academies will make you welcome.
Whether you end up at a big academy in Minato or a basement dojo in Shinjuku, training in Tokyo is a great way to see a side of the city most visitors never do.
FAQ
Can visitors drop in at BJJ gyms in Tokyo?
Visitors can drop in at most BJJ gyms in Tokyo, but most expect you to book ahead by web form, email or LINE. Imanari Jiu-Jitsu is an exception that needs no reservation, and some gyms don't take visitors at all.
How much does a drop-in class cost in Tokyo?
A drop-in day at a Tokyo BJJ gym costs about ¥3,000 to ¥5,000 at the time of writing. Carpe Diem Aoyama charges ¥3,000 a day, Tri-Force Gotanda ¥4,000 and Imanari Jiu-Jitsu ¥5,000, and week passes are better value for longer stays.
Do Tokyo BJJ gyms have English-speaking classes?
Several Tokyo BJJ gyms have English websites and are used to foreign visitors, even where classes run mainly in Japanese. Carpe Diem Aoyama, Tri-Force Gotanda and Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy have full English pages, and Imanari Jiu-Jitsu's site is bilingual.
Can I rent a gi at a Tokyo BJJ gym?
Most Tokyo BJJ gyms rent gis, usually for ¥1,000 to ¥2,000 with a towel included. Mention that you need one when you book, as Tri-Force Gotanda asks.
Where can I train no-gi in Tokyo?
Imanari Jiu-Jitsu in Shinjuku is the main no-gi option among Tokyo's well-known academies, with no-gi classes from 6:30 a.m. every weekday. ARTA BJJ Hiroo and Tri-Force Gotanda also run several no-gi classes a week alongside their gi timetables.