[July 2026] Japan Pickleball News Roundup | Fujiwara and Funemizu Win the PPA Tokyo Open, Big New Courts in Ikebukuro and Izu

At the end of my June addendum, I wrote that the Asia qualifier in Utsunomiya was what I was most looking forward to in July. As it turned out, though, the biggest story in Japan in July was the PPA Tour event held a week earlier in Tachikawa, Tokyo. Rika Fujiwara and Yuta Funemizu both won titles on home courts in Japan.

I'm Coach Yoshi. This time, I've rounded up the pickleball news from Japan for July 2026. Along with results from top players, it was a month full of stories that matter to people who are about to start playing or want to enter tournaments, such as new court openings and announcements of fall tournaments. Note that this article is based on announcements as of July, so the dates and projected figures are as they stood at the time.

1. Rika Fujiwara and Yuta Funemizu Win at the PPA Tour's Tokyo Event (July 1–4)

From July 1 to 4, 2026, the PPA ASIA 500 Sansan TOKYO OPEN 2026 was held at Arena Tachikawa Tachihi and Dome Tachikawa Tachihi in Tachikawa, Tokyo. It was a stop on PPA Tour Asia, the Asian series of the U.S. pro tour PPA, and according to Visional, which sponsors Funemizu, it was the first time the PPA Tour had held an event in Tokyo. This is the tournament I previewed in my May roundup as making its Tokyo debut in July.

• Scale: PPA ASIA 500. Total pro prize money of US$50,000, with 500 points for the winner
• Events: Five pro events (men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles), plus amateur divisions by age and skill level

Here are the main results for the Japanese players (scores are shown from the Japanese player's side).

Rika Fujiwara fell behind 5-10 in the third game of the women's singles final. From there, she won back the serve and never gave it up, reeling off seven straight points to complete the comeback (according to PPA Tour Asia's match report). The same article notes that it was her second straight singles title, following the Macao Open in May, and that it extended her winning streak to eight. In women's doubles, she partnered with Kei Sawaki, who won the U-16 singles and doubles at an Asian junior tournament, and the pair saved three match points against the No. 3 seeds in the quarterfinals to advance. It was Sawaki's first final on PPA Tour Asia.

Yuta Funemizu teamed up with Tama Shimabukuro from Hawaii, his partner when he won the PPA 500 San Clemente in the United States in May. In the final, they dropped the first game to the pair of former world No. 1 Collin Johns and Len Yang, then came back to win. According to Visional, it was the first PPA ASIA title for a Japanese man, and his very first medal on PPA Tour Asia was gold.

Nasa Hatakeyama reached the semifinals in men's singles after winning an all-Japanese matchup against No. 5 seed Kenta Miyoshi in the round of 16. In the semifinals, he lost a close match that went the full three games to Mitchell Hargreaves, then also dropped the bronze medal match to finish 4th. In the amateur divisions, Naoki Sakane, a coach with Noah Indoor Stage, won the men's singles (19+). The winners' trophies at this tournament were golden maneki-neko (lucky cat) figures.

Sources: PPA Tour Asia tournament page and match reports (July 2, July 3, July 4), Visional (PR TIMES, July 4), Noah Indoor Stage (PR TIMES, July 7), Sansan (player sponsorship, July 1)

Abroad, Too | Kenta Miyoshi Takes Silver in Singapore, and Yuta Funemizu Changes Teams in MLP

At PPA Tour Asia's Leapmotor Singapore Open on July 23–26, Kenta Miyoshi partnered with Vietnam's Hien Truong to reach the men's doubles final, finishing runner-up after a 4-11, 11-4, 7-11 loss. In MLP, the U.S. pro league, Funemizu moved from Miami Pickleball Club to Utah Black Diamonds on July 15. His new team also includes Shimabukuro, his partner in Tokyo. I cover this in more detail in the world news roundup for the same month.

Sources: PPA Tour Asia (Singapore, July 26), The Kitchen (MLP trade roundup)

No Official Results Found for the APP Asia Qualifier in Utsunomiya (July 10–12)

The APP international tournament I introduced in my June roundup was scheduled to be held at Nikkan Arena Tochigi (Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture) under the name KINTO APP ASIA Qualifier Series UTSUNOMIYA 2026, according to announcements from Pickleball Japan (PJ), the national pickleball federation. PJ published the tournament handbook on July 6.

However, I couldn't find an official announcement of the results from either PJ or the APP. There were articles on overseas news sites reporting the winners, but since I couldn't check them against official results, I haven't included them here. This tournament was said to double as the selection event for Japan's national team at the 2026 World Cup (Da Nang, Vietnam), and PJ's official website currently lists 13 national team members, 7 men and 6 women, including men's captain Nasa Hatakeyama (the date on the site is September 25).

Sources: PJ (tournament handbook published, July 6), PJ, Japan national team players (2026 World Cup)

2. A Run of Big Court Openings | 7 Courts in Ikebukuro, 20 in Izu

Ikebukuro, Tokyo | Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro (Opened July 10)

On July 10, Sansan opened Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo. It's in a building a 3-minute walk from Higashi-Ikebukuro Station, with 7 courts in total: 3 indoor courts on the 4th floor and 4 outdoor courts on the 6th floor. Within a month of opening reservations on June 10, bookings topped 1,800, and the company decided to expand onto the 3rd floor, where it plans to add 2 indoor courts and 2 mini practice courts. The company calls it the first large dedicated pickleball facility in Tokyo (comparing the number of dedicated courts per facility; based on the company's own research as of January 2026).

On the same day, it also announced an official partnership with ASICS (including shoe rentals) and a trial of a service that uses AI to analyze video of the courts and give feedback to players. Rika Fujiwara serves as the facility's ambassador (announced July 1).

Sources: Sansan (opening, July 10), Sansan (ASICS partnership, July 10), Sansan (AI feedback trial, July 10), Sansan (player sponsorship, July 1)

Izu, Shizuoka | 20 Outdoor Courts at Izu Resort Villa (Opened July 20)

On July 20, 20 dedicated outdoor courts certified by PJ opened at Izu Resort Villa in Shizuoka Prefecture. Kamori Kanko, which operates the resort, describes the facility as the largest of its kind in Japan. Together with Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido (opened July 2025, 8 courts), whose tournament I introduced in my June roundup, the group now has 28 courts, and it plans to add 16 courts at Rusutsu in June 2027 for a total of 44.

Source: Kamori Kanko (PR TIMES, August 3, 2026)

Toyosu, Tokyo | PICKLR TOKYO TOYOSU Kept Signing Up Members

At PICKLR TOKYO TOYOSU (7 courts; scheduled to open in September as of July), which I introduced in my June roundup, the first round of Founder memberships, launched on June 18, sold out in about 48 hours. A second round (about 500 people) was offered from July 1 to 13, and recruitment of regular members began on July 23. First-round members range in age from 19 to 74: 28.0% are 55 or older, 26.7% are 25–34, 22.0% are 35–44 and 21.3% are 45–54. Each age group makes up 20 to 30%, and the numbers show that this isn't a boom limited to young people.

Sources: Japan Pickleball Holdings (July 1), Japan Pickleball Holdings (July 23)

Other New Courts

• pickle9 (Minami-Aoyama, Minato City, Tokyo): 1 indoor court inside an indoor golf lounge. Grand opening on July 15
• TAROKO PICKLEBALL Shimosa-Nakayama (Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture): 2 courts under the elevated tracks of the JR Sobu Line, scheduled to open in late October, as announced on July 3. There are plans to expand to 5 courts in spring 2027
• Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel (Kanagawa Prefecture): Part of the hotel's tennis courts converted into dedicated courts, available for a limited time from July 1 to November 30
• Tokigawa, Saitama Prefecture: A stay-and-play facility combining 2 courts (1 regulation court and 1 lesson court) with a private rental lodge has been completed (announced July 7)

Sources: CopterOne (pickle9, July 15), TAROKO (July 3), Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel (July 10), EFFECT-K (July 7)

3. Corporate Moves | Mizuno Enters the Market, and a League of Corporate Teams Is Born

Mizuno Enters the Pickleball Market (July 10)

On July 10, Mizuno announced its entry into the pickleball market. Starting in August, it will sell paddles (3 models), shoes and bags in Japan, with a domestic sales target of ¥100 million for the first year after launch. It has been selling in the United States since April 2026, and all 3 paddle models are approved by USA Pickleball. In October 2025, it signed a partnership agreement to promote the sport with the Japan Pickleball Association (which merged with Pickleball Japan in April 2026), and pickleball can be played at 42 of the sports facilities Mizuno manages across Japan (as of June 2026).

Sources: Mizuno (PR TIMES, July 10), FASHIONSNAP (July 10)

Sansan | Becomes a Federation Partner and Launches a League of Corporate Teams (July 17)

On July 17, Sansan became a Grand Slam Partner of PJ. It will sponsor tournaments and events throughout the year and serve as the title sponsor of the 2026 Japan national team (according to PJ, the Grand Slam Partners are three companies: Sansan, Mitsui Fudosan and Kenedix). On the same day, as the third phase of Pickleball X, a pro development project it has fully sponsored since January 2025, Sansan also launched PX LEAGUE, a league in which companies field their own teams.

• Period and venue: Seven months, from October 2026 to April 2027. The main venue is Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro
• Format: A team competition among 6 teams. Each team has 3 men and 3 women and competes in 5 events: men's and women's doubles, men's and women's singles, and mixed doubles
• Companies fielding teams: ASICS, Globeride, Sansan, TBS Television, transcosmos and Mercari
• Player selection: An open call for players from August 10 to 23, followed by a draft on September 12

The coaches are Daniel Moore, a former U.S. national champion, and Rika Fujiwara. The project's two previous calls drew about 300 applicants in total, and Nasa Hatakeyama and Kei Sawaki, who received development support through the project, signed pro contracts with the PPA in June 2026.

Sources: Sansan (Grand Slam Partner, July 17), Sansan (Pickleball X third phase, July 17), PJ (PR TIMES, July 17)

A Prototype Paddle Made from Carbon Fiber Scraps (July 6)

Mirai Kasei, part of the Mitani Sangyo group, and BE-S, the company behind the pickleball brand TOCO, are jointly developing a paddle that uses a nonwoven carbon fiber fabric recycled from scraps of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) left over from manufacturing aircraft parts. Toray and Teijin are also cooperating. The prototype was to be unveiled for the first time at SPORTEC 2026 (Tokyo Big Sight) on July 8–10, with test hitting available. As of July, no release date had been announced.

Source: Mitani Sangyo (PR TIMES, July 6)

4. Fall and Later Tournaments and Events Announced

2nd PJL BURGER KING CUP (Burger King Cup / October 11–14, Ariake)

PJ announced the tournament on July 17. The venue is the 24 indoor courts at Ariake Tennis Forest Park, with total prize money and prizes of ¥10 million or more (planned). More than 800 participants were expected. The first edition in 2025 drew 608 participants from 7 countries. There are three categories, general (beginner, intermediate, advanced and advanced 50+), corporate and pro, and entries opened on July 25.

PB1 CUP and PICKLEBALL AWARDS JAPAN

The PB1 CUP, a national tournament organized by Pickleball One, was announced on June 22, with qualifiers in 8 regions across Japan scheduled to begin with the Kyushu qualifier on July 18 (Tagawa District, Fukuoka Prefecture). The qualifiers run through the Kanto qualifier on September 12, with three categories: Open, 35+ and 50+. The organizer expected 800 to 1,000 participants across all the qualifiers and planned to hold the national finals at Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro. On July 17, Mercari joined as a sponsor. On July 16, Pickleball One also announced that PICKLEBALL AWARDS JAPAN 2026, which honors people and organizations that have contributed to pickleball in Japan, will be held on December 20 at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu. In 2025, the vote on the nominees drew 1,103 votes from across the country, and the MVP was Yuta Funemizu.

Federation Rankings and Certification Programs

PJ also published the June and July editions of the Pickleball Japan Ranking (July 14 and 17) and announced that, to prepare for a new certification system it plans to launch around fall, it would temporarily suspend its Coordinator and Start Coach certification courses at the end of August (July 19).

Sources: PJ (Burger King Cup, PR TIMES, July 17), Pickleball One (PB1 CUP, June 22), Mercari (July 17), Pickleball One (awards, July 16), PJ (July rankings, July 17), PJ (certification courses, July 19)

5. Pickleball Comes to Schools | Equipment for 44 Elementary Schools in Hamamatsu

On July 10, Tokyu Resort Town Hamanako donated pickleball equipment to the city's public elementary schools through the Hamamatsu City Board of Education. The donation of 352 paddles, 704 balls and 10 nets will be distributed to the 44 schools that requested it, out of the city's 96 public elementary schools (announced July 23). The company explains that, at a time when children have fewer chances to be active outdoors, it wants to offer a form of exercise that can be played safely indoors regardless of the weather.

Tokyu Resort Town Katsuura, part of the same group, also donated paddles and balls on June 19 to the 2 public elementary schools in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture (every school in the city) (announced July 6).

Sources: Tokyu Resorts & Stay (Hamanako, July 23), Tokyu Resorts & Stay (Katsuura, July 6)

Summary | Japan Pickleball News for July 2026

• The PPA Tour's Tokyo event (7/1–4, Tachikawa): Rika Fujiwara won women's singles and Yuta Funemizu won men's doubles. Abroad, Kenta Miyoshi was runner-up in men's doubles in Singapore
• Big courts: 7 courts in Ikebukuro (7/10) and 20 outdoor courts in Izu (7/20). pickle9 (7/15, 1 indoor court) also opened in Minami-Aoyama. PICKLR Toyosu began recruiting regular members on 7/23
• Companies: Mizuno announced its market entry. PX LEAGUE, with teams fielded by 6 companies, was also launched
• Fall and later tournaments: The 2nd Burger King Cup (10/11–14, Ariake), the PB1 CUP qualifiers around the country and PICKLEBALL AWARDS JAPAN (12/20)
• Schools: 352 paddles and more were delivered to 44 public elementary schools in Hamamatsu

May was about players' big achievements and June was about getting courts and tournaments ready, but July was the month when both took shape. I'll round up August's news, too.

If you're wondering "Where can I play near me?" or "How should I choose my first paddle?", feel free to ask me (Coach Yoshi) on LINE. You can add us as a friend through Pickleball Lab's official LINE account.

Related articles

• [June 2026] Japan Pickleball News Roundup — The previous month's roundup
• [July 2026] World Pickleball News Roundup — The world edition for the same month (including Funemizu's MLP move and Miyoshi's runner-up finish)
• [June 2026 Addendum] Pickleball News You Missed — Including the federation's approval by the Japan Sport Association (JSPO)
• [May 2026] Japan Pickleball News Roundup — Where the Tokyo event was first previewed
• What Paddles Do Japan's Pros Use? Japan's Top Players and Their Brand Deals
• MLP and the PPA Tour: How Professional Pickleball Works Abroad in 5 Minutes
• Where Can You Play? The Complete Guide to Finding and Booking Pickleball Courts in Japan
• Where to Play Pickleball in Tokyo
• How to Enter Your First Pickleball Tournament
• How to Choose Pickleball Shoes

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References

1. PPA Tour Asia — Sansan Tokyo Open 2026 tournament page (dates, venue, prize money, schedule and results)
2. PPA Tour Asia — THREE MATCH POINTS SAVED, #3 SEEDS DOWN — FUJIWARA-SAWAKI STUN IN TOKYO (July 2, 2026)
3. PPA Tour Asia — SUN RISES ON HOME GROUND DEFENSE (July 3, 2026; semifinals)
4. PPA Tour Asia — FUJIWARA FAIRYTALE: HOME GOLD CLOSES OUT TOKYO (July 4, 2026; finals)
5. PR TIMES (Visional: Yuta Funemizu Wins Men's Doubles at the PPA Tour's First Tokyo Event, July 4, 2026) (Japanese)
6. PR TIMES (Noah Indoor Stage: Coach Naoki Sakane Wins in the Amateur Division, July 7, 2026) (Japanese)
7. PPA Tour Asia — WONG MAKES HISTORY IN SINGAPORE WITH THIRD STRAIGHT SINGLES GOLD (July 26, 2026)
8. The Kitchen — Major League Pickleball 2026 trade deadline roundup (the July 15 trade)
9. Pickleball Japan (PJ) — KINTO APP ASIA Qualifier Series UTSUNOMIYA 2026 Tournament Handbook Released (July 6, 2026) (Japanese)
10. Pickleball Japan (PJ) — Japan National Team Players for the Pickleball World Cup 2026 (Japanese)
11. PR TIMES (Sansan: Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro Opens, July 10, 2026) (Japanese)
12. PR TIMES (Sansan: Pickleball Player Sponsorship Expanded to Three Players, July 1, 2026) (Japanese)
13. PR TIMES (Kamori Kanko: 8 Courts at Rusutsu and 20 in Izu for a Total of 28, Rising to 44 in 2027, August 3, 2026) (Japanese)
14. PR TIMES (Japan Pickleball Holdings: Second Round of Founder Memberships for PICKLR TOKYO TOYOSU, July 1, 2026) (Japanese)
15. PR TIMES (Japan Pickleball Holdings: Regular Membership Recruitment Opens for PICKLR TOKYO TOYOSU, July 23, 2026) (Japanese)
16. PR TIMES (Mizuno: Entering the Pickleball Market, July 10, 2026) (Japanese)
17. PR TIMES (Sansan: Becomes a Grand Slam Partner of Pickleball Japan, July 17, 2026) (Japanese)
18. PR TIMES (Sansan: Third Phase of Pickleball X and Launch of PX LEAGUE, July 17, 2026) (Japanese)
19. PR TIMES (Pickleball Japan: 2nd PJL BURGER KING CUP Announced, July 17, 2026) (Japanese)
20. PR TIMES (Pickleball One: PB1 CUP Announced, June 22, 2026) (Japanese)
21. PR TIMES (Tokyu Resorts & Stay: Tokyu Resort Town Hamanako Brings Pickleball to Local Elementary Schools, July 23, 2026) (Japanese)