Japan's pickleball world is finally becoming one. The general incorporated association Japan Pickleball Association (JPA) and the general incorporated foundation Pickleball Japan Federation (PJF) officially announced the merger of the two bodies on April 10, 2026. The effective date is April 14, 2026. The new structure operates under the external name “Pickleball Japan (PJ),” making a start as the single governing body for pickleball in Japan. It's a historic reorganization with an eye on official-event status at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Background to the merger: why become one now
JPA and PJF had announced a “basic agreement toward establishing a single governing body in Japan” on January 9, 2026. Afterward, they set up a joint task force made up of the two bodies' representatives to discuss a smooth merger, and concluded a merger agreement on March 13, 2026. In a speedy merger of about three months, it reached the effective date of April 14.
The biggest purpose of the merger is to establish a “single national federation (NF)” that can formally join the international federation. Until now Japan had multiple governing bodies coexisting, lacking a sense of unity in cooperation with the international federation, player development, and tournament operations.The domestic number of players has reached over 45,000, 15 times that of 2023,is surging, and it had become a shared challenge in the industry that the development of the governing structure had not kept up with the explosive growth of the playing population.
A stepping stone to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics
Repeatedly emphasized in the press release is the expression “establishing an NF with an eye on official-event status at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.” Pickleball is growing rapidly as a U.S.-born sport, and in the U.S. about 1 in 5 adults (about 50 million) are said to have played in the past year. Chosen as the “fastest-growing sport in America” for four consecutive years, it has now entered the stage of becoming a competitive and international sport.
To realize Olympic-event status, the existence of an international federation (IF) recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and unified national bodies (NF) in each country is essential. Internationally, with the merger of the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) and the World Pickleball Federation (WPF) also advancing, unifying the NF within Japan too aims to establish a position as a pickleball-advanced country in Asia.
The governance of the new structure “Pickleball Japan”
The main officers of the new structure are as follows.
- Chairman: Rika Riordan
- Vice chairman: Shigeru Nishigami
- Secretary-General: Takeshi Koizumi
- Standing directors: Kento Sasaki, Koki Sugimoto, Yuki Tanaka, Chiharu Hachiya Lorenzoni, Yoshihiro Marutani
The headquarters is placed in Hiroo, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and the secretariat has a two-base structure in Tokyo (Asakusabashi, Taito Ward) and Osaka (Fushimimachi, Chuo Ward). By having both eastern and western bases, it takes a stance of balancing nationwide competition operations and community-rooted spreading activities.
The five founding principles it upholds
Pickleball Japan upholds “Pickleball, a sport that connects people” as its core statement, and holds the following five as founding principles.
- Inclusiveness: anyone can participate regardless of age, gender, or level
- Connection: exchange between people through play
- Fun & Well-being: balancing competitiveness and health promotion
- Fair Play: thorough fairness of competition
- Excellence: developing players who can compete on the international stage
These have many points in common with the values USA Pickleball (USAP) upholds, such as “Inclusion,” “Community,” and “Integrity,” in a principle design conscious of consistency with the international federation.
Future developments: four priority measures
The priority measures Pickleball Japan will advance after the merger are mainly four.
1. Expanding the playing population
It will roll out spreading activities on a nationwide scale, pushing the playing population—currently said to be over 45,000—even higher. Clarifying its positioning as a tool for maintaining health, intergenerational exchange, and communication, it aims to broaden the base to groups other than competitive athletes.
2. Building a player-development structure
It will develop unified domestic national-team selection criteria and fully begin developing players who can compete in international tournaments.The PPA ASIA 500 Sansan Tokyo Open 2026, scheduled for Julyand other domestically held international tournaments become excellent venues for player development.
3. Developing national tournaments
It will reorganize tournament operations, until now scattered by region and body, under unified rules and unified rankings. Sorting out and consolidating the tournaments that JPA and PJF each ran becomes the immediate challenge.
4. Strengthening cooperation with international federations
It will unify relations with international governing bodies such as IFP/WPF, smoothly advancing dispatching players to international tournaments and applying international rules domestically.The 2026 USA Pickleball rule revisionResponding to it can also be done quickly precisely because it's a unified body.
Impact on players: what changes immediately and what changes from here
The impact on general players is gradual. For the time being, there's a high possibility that the existing JPA and PJF tournaments and registration systems are operated in parallel, and the procedures for player registration and tournament entry won't suddenly change. However, over the medium term, a shift to a unified player-registration system, unified rankings, and a unified rulebook is expected to advance.
What's especially noteworthy is making “national-team selection” transparent. By unifying the selection criteria for national-team players, which had differed by body until now, the path for players to aim for the Olympics and world championships becomes clear.The Picklr’s plan for 20 facilities in Japan,and other private facility investment is also accelerating, and both wheels—“a place to play” and “a path to grow as a competitor”—are coming together.
Japan's pickleball has entered the “era of organizations”
Until around 2023, Japan's pickleball was a “grassroots” era by some enthusiasts and pioneering bodies. From 2024 onward, along with the rapid expansion of the player population, an increase in tournaments, product rollouts of paddles and balls, a construction rush of dedicated facilities, and the entry of corporate sponsors came one after another. And now, with the JPA–PJF merger, it enters the “era of organizations.”
2032年のブリスベンオリンピックでの活躍に向けて、日本のピックルボールが国際舞台で輝くための土台作りが、今日から本格的にスタートする。Pickleball Japanの初期運営がどこまでスピード感を持って進むのか、業界全体が注視している。
FAQ
Q. If I was registered with either JPA or PJF, what happens to my player registration?
For the time being, the existing registration systems are expected to be operated in parallel. Until the new player-registration system after the merger is established, please continue your current registration. It's most reliable to await the new body's official announcements for details.
Q. Will Olympic-event status in 2032 really be realized?
At this point it's at the stage of “efforts with an eye on it,” and official-event status is not confirmed. However, since the international federation's merger advancing and each country's NF being developed are prerequisites for IOC approval, this merger is positioned as an important step.
Q. Where should I direct inquiries to the new body?
The official contact is contact@japanpickleball.org. The headquarters is at 4-1-15 Hiroo, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and the secretariat has two bases in Tokyo (3-27-14 Asakusabashi, Taito Ward) and Osaka (3-6-3 Fushimimachi, Chuo Ward).
