TOKYO, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:LFS) (the "Company" or "Leifras"), a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement, today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement (the "Agreement") to participate, from April 2026, as an official partner in the Sports Active Partner Program hosted by the Japan Sport Association ("JSPO"), a public interest incorporated foundation that plays a central role in Japan's sports ecosystem. Through this collaboration, Leifras intends to combine JSPO's nationwide network with the Company's on-site know-how in youth sports education to support the development of next-generation infrastructure that delivers high-quality sports environments to children and sports instructors throughout Japan.

Background: Aligning Company Philosophy with Social Needs

Japan's sports environment is currently undergoing a transition, with a declining birthrate, a shift of club activities to local communities, and a shortage of instructors. Addressing these social issues requires not only the power of national and local governments but also the participation of private sector organizations that actively promote sports on the ground.

JSPO is a non-profit private organization in the Japanese sports world that oversees youth sports clubs attended by approximately 650,000 registered members. It also co-organizes the Japan Games, one of Japan's largest sports festivals with approximately 30,000 participating athletes. JSPO's corporate message, "Towards a desirable future with sports, " is well aligned with Leifras' corporate philosophy, "Changing and designing sports." This shared vision led to the collaboration between the two parties, which goes beyond mere sponsorship and aims to collaboratively solve social issues.

Collaborative Initiatives: Driving Bottom-Up Transformation in Youth Sports

As an official partner, Leifras expects to support JSPO's activities and gain access to the "Selection Program," which allows the Company to directly approach participants in JSPO-sponsored projects. The partnership is expected to enable Leifras to share its on-site know-how in the following areas and contribute to solving issues in the sports world.

Approaching youth sports groups and sports instructors: Leifras intends to create opportunities to deliver high-quality educational services and introduce its education methodology focused on developing non-cognitive skills, which the Company developed over the years, to 650,000 youth sports group members nationwide, their parents, and the sports instructors who support them.
Raising awareness and providing support through national sports events: Through events such as the Japan Games, the Company plans to promote the social value of sports and encourage the creation of an environment in which everyone, from athletes to citizens, can enjoy sports under the "Sport for All" philosophy.

Future Outlook: Accelerating Social Business on a Nationwide Scale

Through this collaboration (contract period: three years from April 2026 to March 2029), Leifras aims to leverage JSPO's strong network and social impact to further enhance the Company's brand recognition among local governments and educational institutions nationwide. The Company intends to accelerate its social business, including school club support, as well as its sports school business, on a national scale, and contribute to society as a platform that builds a sustainable, inclusive, and enriching sports environment throughout Japan.

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, 2024, 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 registration statement 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 registration statement 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:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leifras-co-ltd-signs-sponsorship-agreement-with-the-japan-sport-association-jspo-contributing-to-the-future-of-sports-302730172.html

SOURCE LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.

LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. Signs Sponsorship Agreement with the Japan Sport Association (JSPO), Contributing to the Future of Sports