Strengthening Leadership in Facilitating Japan's Nationwide School Club Reform and Expanding Its Role as a Sustainable Education Infrastructure Provider

TOKYO, May 14, 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 achieved the No. 1 ranking in Japan for the number of supported school club activities, with a record 2,120 club contracts, according to a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research as of December 31, 2025. This recognition further demonstrates Leifras' leading position amid Japan's accelerating nationwide reform of school club activities and highlights the Company's growing role as a sustainable education infrastructure provider supporting community-based sports club activities.

According to the survey, Leifras now holds the top position in Japan across four major categories:

• Number of Supported School Club Activities (New)
• Number of Schools Contracted for Club Activities (Second Consecutive Year)
• Number of Members in Children's Sports Schools (Fourth Consecutive Year)
• Number of Children's Sports Schools (Fourth Consecutive Year)

Leifras' leading market share demonstrates that it has become a social infrastructure in the industry. As Japan reaches a turning point with national reforms, such as the transition of school club activities to community-based management and work-style reforms for teachers, the Company is accelerating its nationwide expansion as a pioneer in outsourced public education-related services.

Background: Contributing to Japan's Educational Reform
Japan is currently undergoing a transition from school-managed club activities to community-based management models to address challenges such as excessive teacher workloads and a shortage of specialized instructors. According to the Japan Sports Agency^[1], approximately 70% of teachers feel burdened by club activity supervision, as it significantly increases working hours. With the full-scale implementation of the transition beginning in 2026, the demand for community-based management transition solutions, including weekday activity support, is growing rapidly nationwide.

At the same time, the needs of schools and communities are diverse and complex. Beyond simply dispatching instructors, there is a critical need for a partner that can co-create optimal solutions tailored to each specific region and sports discipline.

As a leading private-sector partner supporting Japan's transition to community-based club activities, the Company believes it is strategically positioned to address the challenges in the educational field. Leveraging years of specialized coaching expertise, the Company provides high-quality instruction and sustainable management, which has led to growth in contracts from local governments.

[1] Japan Sports Agency (2017). Survey Report on the State of School Athletics Club Activities (Summary).

Record High: From 1,971 Supported Club Activities in Fiscal Year 2024 to 2,120 in Fiscal Year 2025
The Company's school club support business, which dispatches professional instructors to handle both sports coaching and club management, has earned trust from educational institutions nationwide. In fiscal year 2025, the number of supported clubs grew to 2,120, an increase of 149 (representing approximately 8% year-over-year growth) from the previous year's 1,971.

Future Outlook: Building the Infrastructure for Future Club Activities
Leifras aims to go beyond immediate workload reduction for teachers. By utilizing its vast operational expertise, the Company seeks to build a "new infrastructure for club activities" that aims to support sustainability in Japanese education. This includes promoting regional talent utilization and "joint club activities" that extend beyond the boundaries of individual schools. Leifras remains committed to addressing social challenges and protecting sports opportunities for children across Japan.

Survey Details

• Survey Theme: Research on school club activity support business.
• Research Organization: Tokyo Shoko Research, Ltd.
• Survey Date: As of December 31, 2025.
• Methodology: Comparative study of the number of contracted club activities among four major companies in the sector.

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 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

Source: LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. Related Stocks: NASDAQ:LFS