Ultiracer Begins an Early Japan Pilot in Nakanojo, Gunma
By Shaun Cheon
On December 9, the Ultiracer team traveled to Nakanojo, a mountain town in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, and installed two Ultiracer units at a town-run training and fitness facility used by older residents. It is one of our first pilots in Japan, and we could not have asked for a warmer place to begin.
Getting to know Nakanojo
Nakanojo sits in the Agatsuma District of northwestern Gunma, about two hours from central Tokyo. It is a large town with a small population: it covers about 439 square kilometers, almost 90% of it forest, and was home to about 15,000 people in 2022 (Nakanojo Town, 2022).
Visitors know the town for its hot springs, including Shima Onsen, Sawatari Onsen and Shiriyaki Onsen, and for landscapes such as the blue waters of Oku-Shima Lake and the Yoshigahira Wetlands, which are listed under the Ramsar Convention (Nakanojo Town, 2022). Since 2007, the town has also hosted the Nakanojo Biennale, an international art festival in which artists live and work in the community and show their work in schools, empty shops and streets across town (Nakanojo Town, 2022; Visit Gunma, 2025). The 2025 edition ran from September 13 to October 13.
A town that has studied healthy aging for decades
For anyone working on activity in later life, Nakanojo is also a familiar name for another reason. Since 2000, the Nakanojo Study has followed the everyday physical activity of older residents of the town, making it one of the best-known long-term studies of its kind (Shephard & Aoyagi, 2010).
Among its findings, better physical health was associated with walking more than about 8,000 steps a day and spending more than about 20 minutes a day in at least moderate activity, while smaller amounts were linked to better mental health. The researchers also found that activity fell on rainy days and dropped away when the weather turned colder or hotter than mild temperatures of around 17°C (Shephard & Aoyagi, 2010).
That last finding matters to us. In a mountain town with cold winters, the weather can decide whether someone goes out for exercise at all. An indoor ride that feels like real cycling gives people one more way to stay active when going outside is hard.
Installation day
Our day began with a meeting with staff at Nakanojo Town Health Center, who welcomed the team. From there we went to the training and fitness facility, a bright, wood-panelled room with windows looking out over fields and the surrounding mountains.
We set the two Ultiracer units up by the windows, alongside the room's treadmills and seated exercise machines. Each unit holds a bicycle upright on a platform, so riders can pedal, lean and steer without worrying about falling, while a screen shows the course ahead. Once everything was in place, the first riders climbed on and set off.
Why this pilot matters to us
Ultiracer first met Japanese riders at events such as the 2023 Sainokuni Fureai Pick in Saitama. A pilot is different. Instead of a single day of hands-on rides, the units become part of the facility's everyday routine, used by the people it serves and supported by the staff who know them best.
That is what makes Nakanojo such a meaningful place to start. Over the coming months, we look forward to hearing from the staff and riders about how Ultiracer fits into their week, and to learning from a community that has thought carefully about staying active for a very long time.
We are deeply grateful to Nakanojo Town, to the staff of the Health Center and the training and fitness facility, and to everyone who welcomed us on installation day. If you would like to learn more about bringing Ultiracer to your facility, get in touch with us.
References
- Nakanojo Town. (2022). Nakanojo town guide [PDF]. Gunma Gurashi, Gunma Prefecture. https://gunmagurashi.pref.gunma.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nakanojo-panph.pdf
- Shephard, R. J., & Aoyagi, Y. (2010). Habitual physical activity and health in the elderly: The Nakanojo Study. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 10(Suppl. 1), S236-S243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2010.00589.x
- Visit Gunma. (2025). Nakanojo Biennale. https://www.visit-gunma.jp/en/spots/nakanojo-biennale/