Supporting Nagakute City’s Weekend and Holiday School Club Activities Through Professional Management, Contributing to Teacher Workstyle Reform and Enriching Sports and Cultural Opportunities for Children
PR Newswire
TOKYO, Aug. 20, 2026
Establishing a Safe and Reliable Operating Structure Through an On-Site “General Manager” and a Dual Safety Net, While Providing Know-How Built on a Record of Zero Serious Accidents
TOKYO, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: LFS) (the “Company” or “Leifras”), a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement and Japan’s leading operator of children’s sports schools and school club activity support businesses, today announced that it had been awarded a service contract (the “Contract”) by Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, to manage weekend and holiday school club activities at three junior high schools in the city from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2029. The Contract is intended to advance the establishment of a sustainable operating framework in Nagakute City for school club activities at the municipal level during the national government’s “Reform Implementation Period” for school club activities. Through the Company’s proprietary management infrastructure, including the assignment of a dedicated “General Manager” and an emergency response system to each of the three junior high schools, Leifras is dedicated to promoting teacher workstyle reform while providing children in Nagakute City with safe, high-quality opportunities to participate in sports and cultural activities.
Background to the Contract and Addressing Challenges in Nagakute City
Across schools in Japan, reducing teachers’ workloads while maintaining and improving the quality and specialization of school club activities has become a pressing social issue. As the national government’s “Reform Implementation Period” for school club activities progresses, municipalities are gradually transitioning weekend and holiday school club activities to community-based and private-sector operations, making the development of sustainable operating systems an urgent priority nationwide. Nagakute City has likewise sought to establish a safe, high-quality operating structure that leverages private-sector expertise in anticipation of the regional transition of weekend and holiday school club activities. Leifras’ proven track record of nationwide on-site operations and its proprietary risk-management framework were highly evaluated, leading to the award of the Contract.
Initiatives in Nagakute City and Value Provided
Under this project, Leifras will comprehensively undertake the management and operation of weekend and holiday school club activities in Nagakute City, creating a sustainable environment that combines safety with high-quality programming.
A Robust Management Structure Through the Assignment of a General Manager
Leifras will assign an experienced full-time employee with hands-on experience in school club support and sports-school instruction to serve as the project’s “General Manager” to each of the three junior high schools.
The General Manager will function as a “hub” connecting schools, parents and guardians, instructors, and the Nagakute City Board of Education, enabling smooth and responsive project operations. Leifras will provide high-quality management tailored to actual conditions at each activity site across safety, instruction, and administration.
Empowering Local Personnel and Developing “Non-Cognitive Skills” Through Leifras’ Proprietary Method
At the actual club activity sites, local personnel will work closely with children as instructors. Leifras’ full-time General Manager will support these instructors and share the Company’s proprietary coaching philosophy of “acknowledge, praise, encourage, and motivate.”
Through this approach, Leifras will support not only the improvement of athletic and activity-related skills, but also the development of children’s “non-cognitive skills,” including social skills and self-esteem, by helping them genuinely enjoy sports and cultural activities.
Established Risk Management, a Record of “Zero Serious Accidents,” and a Comprehensive Emergency Response System
Based on the Company’s record, no serious accidents have been reported to date. Leifras believes this record reflects its systematic approach to safety management, including identifying near misses and minor incidents, addressing potential risks, and continuously improving operating procedures.
For the project in Nagakute City, Leifras has also established an “Emergency Reporting and Response System” designed to facilitate prompt responses to minor injuries and issues that may occur during activities. Rapid initial response supports activity safety, and the Company will provide its full range of know-how, from preventive measures designed to avoid accidents to response measures in the event an incident occurs.
Why Leifras is Chosen: Five Advantages
- Industry-leading Contract Track Record: Holds the leading industry position with 381 contracted schools and 2,120 supported clubs, ranking first in Japan by the number of children’s sports schools and the number of supported school club activities as of December 31, 2025 according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
- Robust National Government Network: As a member of the Nippon Sport Policy Commission and an official partner of the Japan Sports Association, Leifras collaborates closely with key organizations representing Japan’s sports industry and private education sector to co-promote national policies.
- Extensive Local Government Network: The Company has partnered directly with 33 prefectures and 13 Tokyo special wards, accumulating substantial operational know-how tailored to region-specific educational needs.
- Japan’s Only Large-Scale Coaching Platform: Operating across 47 prefectures, Leifras currently employs 1,055 full-time staff and 3,544 part-time employees. The Company has also established stable, exclusive recruitment pipelines through comprehensive alliances with educational institutions.
- Safety-First Operational System: Full-time employees manage and oversee club activity instructors, ensuring thorough adherence to proprietary training programs and regular field audits. Since launching the school club support business in 2013, the Company has maintained a record of zero major accidents or severe injuries.
Future Outlook
Leifras will continue to deepen its collaboration with local governments nationwide under its corporate philosophy, “To Change and Design Sports.” The Company aims to contribute to addressing social issues such as teacher workstyle reform and improving the specialization of school club activities, while helping establish sustainable, community-based models for school club activities.
Leveraging its nationwide operating capabilities and accumulated expertise, Leifras aims to help create an environment in which children in Nagakute City can continue to enjoy safe and fulfilling sports and cultural activities well into the future.
About LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Leifras is a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement. The Company primarily provides services related to the organization and operations of sports schools and sports events for children. As of December 31, 2025, Leifras was recognized as one of Japan’s largest operators of children’s sports schools in terms of both membership and facilities by Tokyo Shoko Research. The Company’s approach to sports education emphasizes the development of non-cognitive skills, following the teaching principle “acknowledge, praise, encourage, and motivate.” The holistic approach that integrates physical and mental development sets Leifras apart in the industry. Building upon deep experience and know-how in sports education, Leifras also operates a robust social business sector, dispatching sports coaches to meet various community needs with the aim to promote physical health, social inclusion, and community well-being across different demographics.
For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://ir.leifras.co.jp/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” or other similar expressions in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the annual report and other filings with the SEC. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.
For more information, please contact:
LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
Investor Relations Department
Email: IR@leifras.co.jp
Ascent Investor Relations LLC
Tina Xiao
Phone: +1-646-932-7242
Email: investors@ascent-ir.com
View original content:SOURCE LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
