David Minton, Director of The Leisure Database Company, has been appointed an official member of the Research Institute for Sports Business (RISB) at Waseda University in Tokyo.
As a Visiting Researcher at RISB, David will split his time between lecturing at the University and working with post graduate students within the Research Institute.
Following RISB’s annual visits to The Leisure Database Company and their hosting of a Japanese intern last year, the Institute are interested in emulating the unique research and database facilities developed by The Leisure Database Company for the Japanese fitness market. It is now recognised that the audit of sports and particularly fitness facilities each year across the UK is world leading: it’s the most robust and comprehensive audit undertaken by any European, American or Asian country.
RISB, on behalf of the Japanese government, are studying ways to improve the finances and delivery of public sector sports facilities along with wider government initiatives to improve the health of the nation. The starting point will be to establish the baseline data and underlying methodology as developed by The Leisure Database Company and used by Sport England’s Active Places project.
David’s appointment coincides with the Associate Dean of Waseda University, Professor Yoshiyuki Mano, taking a sabbatical in the UK. Yoshiyuki will be based at the Sports Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University looking at how the National Benchmarking service, another unique monitoring tool for public services, operates.
David Minton commented “I am honoured to have been appointed a Visiting Researcher at RISB and look forward to working with my colleagues in Tokyo.
Japan, like the UK, has an ageing population and needs to establish more base data on facilities and participation to help the Japanese Government improve their nation’s health.”
Photo:
David and Yoshiyuki at the traditional Japanese style Hoshinoya Hotel at Karuizawa which is one of the first zero emission hotels in Japan.