Supporting the Establishment of Sustainable Operational Frameworks and Addressing Regional Education Challenges Across 17 Municipalities
TOKYO, July 15, 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 was awarded the “Contract for the Role of General Coordinator for Regional Development of Junior High School Club Activities in Kagawa Prefecture, FY2026” (the “Contract”) by Kagawa Prefecture. Pursuant to the Contract, Leifras has initiated a comprehensive consulting support project (the “Project”), providing specialized guidance and strategic advice for Kagawa Prefecture and all 17 local municipalities to facilitate the transition of junior high school club activities to local communities. The Project represents an important initiative by the Company to establish sustainable operational frameworks for local governments during Japan’s ongoing “Reform Execution Period” for school club activities.
Project Overview and Key Strategic Features
Under this Project, Leifras provides comprehensive consulting and hands-on operational support to all 17 municipalities in Kagawa Prefecture to facilitate the transition of junior high school club activities to local communities through the following core initiatives:
- Strategic Support and Counsel for the Prefectural Promotion Commission: Leifras actively participates in regular committee sessions and specialized working groups composed of superintendents and key institutional representatives. The Company leverages its expertise to share nationwide best practices, provide specialized strategic advice tailored to Kagawa Prefecture’s regional needs, and ensure seamless committee execution.
- On-Site Assessments and Hands-On Guidance Across all 17 Municipalities: Leifras engages directly with administrative leads in all 17 municipalities to identify localized challenges, assess current operational status, and provide practical solutions. The Company has also established dedicated online consultation channels designed to deliver timely, tailored support addressing specific community hurdles.
- Continuous Consultation for Prefectural Policymaking: To enhance Kagawa Prefecture’s reform guidelines regarding school club transformations and promotion of community-based sports clubs, Leifras provides ongoing strategic advisory services drawing upon its extensive knowledge base, supporting the establishment of a sustainable club activity ecosystem across the entire prefecture.
A JPY500 Billion Market and the Formal Commencement of the “Reform Execution Period”
Reducing excessive teacher workloads and improving the quality of specialized instruction have become urgent social challenges in schools throughout Japan. In response, the nation has officially entered the “Reform Execution Period” starting in fiscal year 2026 under the New Guidelines Regarding Reform of School Club Activities issued by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (the “Guidelines”), according to which weekend club activities are expected to, in principle, be fully transitioned to local communities and private operators. With approximately 9,800 junior high schools* and 128,000 club activities nationwide, the Company estimates the potential market size to be approximately JPY500 billion**. The Guidelines plan to transition 30.4% (38,954 clubs) of weekend club activities to regional and private sectors within fiscal year 2026 alone.
*e-Stat Government Statistic Portal Site/Number of Schools in 2025.
**Market size is estimated by the Company based on past contract performances.
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 plans to continue to deepen its partnerships with local governments across Japan, contributing to the resolution of critical social issues, such as work-style reforms for teachers, while supporting youth development.
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
