Anytime Fitness BRANCH Chigasaki Review — A Park Through the Window, the Sea Beyond

A 10-minute bus ride from Chigasaki Station. Not exactly close. The access, honestly, isn’t great.

Still, the moment I stepped off the bus, a hint of sea salt drifted past. That alone lifted some of the fatigue from the trip out here.

Equipment

• Cardio machines
• Stretching area (no mats)
• Selectorized machines
• Plate-loaded machines
• Free weight area
• Power racks / smith machines: 5
• Adjustable benches: 2
• Lockers (for belongings), showers, restrooms
• No free water dispenser

Access

A 10-minute bus ride from Chigasaki Station. The access isn’t great, and there’s no getting around that.

Still, the salt air waiting at the bus stop quietly makes up for it. The sea seemed to greet me before I’d even reached the town.

It’s on the second floor of a shopping center. Newly built. A single-floor layout.

The Shinsayama location was also inside a shopping center, but this one carries a slightly more urban feel.

Atmosphere and Equipment

To the left of the entrance: lockers for belongings, restrooms, and showers. Plenty of space, more than enough, really.

I found myself picturing people showering off after a day at the beach. This location invites that kind of imagining.

Right at the entrance sits a small bowl of salt candy. A thoughtful touch. Small gestures like this are what quietly give a gym its character.

Beside the lockers, a single bench. A good spot to sit for a moment with a protein shake after a workout.

The floor is roughly square. Not especially large, but the window on the right side is strikingly big.

Beyond it, a park opens up, and the view stretches out. That one large window changes how open the space feels.

Cardio machines and a stretching area sit to the right as you enter. No mats, but plenty of room.

Selectorized machines and plate-loaded machines are set up on the near left, with a free weight area further back. The equipment lineup is decent, and the layout leaves breathing room between machines — a small but noticeable touch of care.

Only 2 adjustable benches, which feels a bit light for the space.

The path to the heavier dumbbells flows well, but a support pillar near the lighter dumbbell rack makes that corner slightly awkward to move around.

Crowd Level

Visited on a Saturday, the first day of a three-day weekend. People were around, but never enough to cause a wait for equipment.

Might just be me, but a lot of the male members had noticeably tanned skin. Feels right for a beach town.

The Surrounding Area

Chigasaki carries the sea in its bones. The town has a real energy to it. Plenty of people walking around in flip-flops.

With the coast nearby and summer in full swing, the area around the station was crowded with people.

Overall Review

What makes this gym stand out is simple: the coastline is a 5-minute walk away.

On a clear summer day, you can walk to the Chigasaki coast, and even Enoshima, right after a workout. It’s about as good a location as it gets. I caught myself wondering, unprompted, what it would be like to live in a town like this.

On raw specs, this isn’t a standout gym. The adjustable benches are a bit sparse, and there’s no free water dispenser. An overall score of 9 feels like the honest number here.

Even so, I decided to add this gym to the Pilgrimage Class.

Until now, Pilgrimage Class status has gone only to gyms scoring 11 or higher. BRANCH Chigasaki is the first exception to that rule. The reason comes down to one thing: a coastline you can’t find a substitute for.

Factor in the walk along the water, and this gym holds its own against the best of the ones I’ve visited so far.

Rating

📖 Japanese Review → BRANCH茅ヶ崎店レビュー

The pilgrimage continues.

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