CEO Message

To transform and innovate the world of sports.

Kiyotaka ItoKiyotaka ItoFounder and CEO , Leifras Co., Ltd.

In 2001, Ito founded Leifras Co., Ltd. to achieve lasting solutions for social issues through sports and social businesses, assuming the role of CEO (current position).

The company’s sports division operates school, event, and alliance businesses. The social division offers school club support, community collaboration, healthcare services, and after-school day services incorporating soccer therapy.

Since its founding, the company has opposed the traditional “sports grit” mentality, such as physical punishment, verbal abuse, and unscientific coaching approaches often associated with sports instruction. Instead, it promotes the reform of club activities, emphasizing the importance of coaching that focuses on “recognition, praise, encouragement, and inspiration” to foster the development of non-cognitive skills. For two consecutive years, the company has held the No.1 position in Japan (*) for the number of children’s sports program members and schools, as well as the cumulative number of contracts for club activity support initiatives (as of December 2023).

The school club support and physical education support businesses, both social initiatives, contribute to improving teaching staff’s working conditions and sports environments in schools. In the school division, the company collaborates with various professional sports organizations, including professional baseball, the J.League, the B.League, and the T.League.

Selected as a representative example of a social business by the Leisure Hakusho (White Paper on Leisure) (Japan Productivity Center, Institute for Leisure Studies) / Participated in the Shanai Mokkei National Competition (Chichi Publishing) / Selected in The First Company (Diamond Publishing) / Winner of the New Business Grand Prize (The Kyushu New Business Conference) / Selected as one of five representatives for the Kyushu region in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Japan (EY Japan) / Certified as a Tokyo Sports Promotion Company (Tokyo Metropolitan Government) / Certified as a Sports Yell Company (Japan Sports Agency) / Certified as a Sports in Life Company (Japan Sports Agency).

Media appearances include Cambria Kyuden (TV Tokyo), Good! JOB (TVQ), News Morning Satellite (TV Tokyo), and Hiru Express (Nikkei CNBC), among others. Published works include 100% Full-Time Employee Principle (Nagasaki Publishing) and Modern [Club Activities] (Meta-Brain).

External activities include Representative, Sports Industry Promotion Council / Member, Regional x Sports Club Industry Study Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry / Member, Japan Private Education Council / Founding Member, Educational Nation Promotion Council / Member, Education and University Reform Promotion Committee, Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) / Board Member, Sun and Children Project / Etc.

At Leifras, guided by our corporate philosophy of “To transform and innovate the world of sports,” we address various social challenges through social businesses, which are particularly driven by our sports and social divisions.

In our school business, we operate under the teaching philosophy of “Strengthening the Heart.” We offer sports services designed to foster non-cognitive skills, which have garnered attention in modern education. As a result of our professional instructors—having undergone extensive in-house training—consistently implementing a coaching approach focused on “recognition, praise, encouragement, and inspiration” since our founding, we’ve experienced 23 consecutive years of growth and now operate in 41 prefectures, with approximately 4,500 schools and around 66,000 members (as of February 2024, including members from affiliated schools). We have held the No.1 position * in Japan for the number of children’s sports program members and schools for two consecutive years.

In recent years, schools have been facing numerous challenges, including mismatches between club activities and their advisors, as well as overburdened teaching personnel. Club activities have an immeasurable impact on children, and to ensure these valuable initiatives persist, we serve as a comprehensive gateway that addresses diverse needs. Collaborating with private companies and local communities, we deliver high-quality club activity support services based on guidelines established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. We support club activities at 1,702 schools (as of October 2024) and have held the No.1 position in Japan for the cumulative number of contracted schools * for two consecutive years. Our support initiatives for all municipal elementary schools in Nagoya City and all municipal junior high schools in Minato, Tokyo, became Japan’s first case of local governments outsourcing all elementary or junior high school club activities to a private entity.

One of Japan’s social issues is the widening gap between average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. As interest in lifelong sports, healthy aging, and exercise guidance for seniors grows, our healthcare business provides instruction in preventive care exercises and health yoga at local community centers, classrooms, and elderly care facilities, to enhance senior health and extend healthy life expectancy. By utilizing local resources such as gyms and sports fields and focusing on community-based activities, we aim to work closely with local communities (community collaboration business).

We sincerely appreciate your continued support and patronage.

Kiyotaka Ito

  • Number of sports school members, No. 1 in Japan for two consecutive years
    • Comparison of the number of schools among the top three sales-generating companies offering children’s sports schools without owned facilities
    • Members attending multiple schools are counted once per school, regardless of the activity type.
    • According to Tokyo Shoko Research, Ltd., as of December 2023
  • Number of sports schools, No. 1 in Japan for two consecutive years
    • Comparison of the number of schools among the top three sales-generating companies offering children’s sports schools without owned facilities
    • If kids and elementary levels are categorized separately, each is counted as one school.
    • According to Tokyo Shoko Research, Ltd., as of December 2023
  • Number of contracted schools for club activity support (cumulative), No. 1 in Japan for two consecutive years
    • Comparison of cumulative contracted schools since service launch among the top two sales-generating companies offering club activity support
    • If a school renews its contract for a new fiscal year, it is counted once per fiscal year, even if it is the same school.
    • According to Tokyo Shoko Research, Ltd., as of December 2023