Sanpuku Holdings, which operates multiple 24-hour sports gyms across Shikoku and Ehime, set up a dedicated pickleball court at “MEGA P・SPO24 Higashiishii” in Matsuyama City and began fully reservation-based operation from Monday, June 29, 2026. Using the method of renovating empty space in an existing gym to turn it into a court, this is a case of a regional operator entering pickleball that’s worth noting. In the Tokyo area, dedicated facilities from major players like Mitsui Fudosan and Sansan are opening one after another, but the fact that a local fitness company has started moving can be read as a sign that the base of the playing population is beginning to reach even regional cities. For Japanese players, and especially the tier in Shikoku and the Chugoku region who have felt “there are few places to hit,” it’s a story of one more option near home.
A 24-hour gym in Matsuyama turned empty space into a court
The one that opened it is “MEGA P・SPO24 Higashiishii” (2-22-30 Higashiishii, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture). It is a 24-hour, year-round sports-focused gym operated by Sanpuku Holdings, a location characterized by lining up sport-by-sport machines such as batting machines, golf simulators, auto tennis, and table-tennis tables. This time, it renovated the 1st-floor free space of this location and converted it into a dedicated pickleball court. Use is fully reservation-based, and operation began on June 29.
Because there are no figures confirmable in the official announcement regarding the number of courts or usage fees, we won’t touch on them here. If you’re considering using it, please check directly at the location’s reservation desk, as described later.
The form of entry of “renovating an existing facility”
What’s worth noting in this case is that they didn’t secure new court-dedicated land or a building, but reorganized the floor of an already-operating gym to turn it into a court. Pickleball needs about a quarter of the width of tennis for one court, and you can start operating with a net, lines, and a flat floor. Compared with a gymnasium or tennis court, the space required is small, and it pairs well with indoor free space. Being able to make use of the “floor that’s already there” at a 24-hour gym greatly lowers the entry hurdle for regional operators.
The Higashiishii location is also a suburban roadside store with free parking for 17 cars. Unlike downtown facilities that tend to presume travel by train, you can picture a usage pattern unique to regional cities: driving up, playing for a short time, and heading home. This is a way of capturing demand different from Tokyo-area-type dedicated facilities.
A contrast with the urban dedicated-facility rush
Entering 2026, dedicated pickleball facilities are moving in the Tokyo area one after another. Organized, the entering players and the character of the locations are the opposite of the regions.
| Facility / operator | Location | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro | Ikebukuro, Tokyo | A downtown all-weather large facility by a major IT company |
| A Mitsui Fudosan–affiliated effort (events, facilities) | Centered on urban areas | A playing-population-expansion measure linking real estate and media |
| MEGA P・SPO24 Higashiishii | Matsuyama, Ehime (suburban) | A practical type where a local gym renovated an existing floor |
Whereas urban areas mainly see large investments to “build or rent for dedicated use,” the Matsuyama case is an idea of “using what’s there.” Because the scale of investment and the tier they reach differ, it’s not a matter of which is superior. Rather, the two meshing creates a structure in which the entrances to experience the sport spread to both cities and regions.
How it's received locally and in the industry
From those who have been looking for a place to play in Shikoku, welcoming voices can be pictured, like “until now we had no choice but to wait for the general opening of a gymnasium, so being able to hit at a set place is wonderful.” On the other hand, among enthusiasts, cautious views can also easily arise, wanting to gauge whether it can be used long as a dedicated court and whether reservations are easy to get. At new facilities, until operations settle, it easily becomes a scramble for slots.
From the industry side, the big point is that fitness operators have begun positioning pickleball as a “new menu for drawing customers.” For a gym, it becomes both a pathway to raise the usage frequency of existing members and a talking point to draw in the inexperienced. The entry of regional gyms also means that new places for transactions and instruction are born in the regions for equipment makers and instructors.
Implications for Japanese players and regional spread
What Matsuyama’s move shows is the possibility that pickleball’s spread will be decided not only by “how many dedicated facilities you build” but by “how much existing idle space you can convert into courts.” In the regions, operators with the strength to newly build courts are limited. That’s exactly why the idea of reorganizing “indoor spaces that are already there”—the empty floor of a 24-hour gym, an idle section of a commercial facility, a former indoor parking lot—easily becomes the practical solution for spread.
The real benefit for individual players is also clear. A suburban roadside 24-hour gym is easy to drop by even in the early morning or late at night. It’s easy to fit in practice using an hour before or after work, lowering the hurdle to continuing. For those who want to gather friends in the regions and start a circle, whether there is an indoor court they can use on a fixed basis ties directly to the stability of their activity. We’d watch for moves to consult nearby gyms and sports facilities—“could you turn empty space into a court?”—to increase in various places.
Ripple effects on the play environment in Shikoku and the Chugoku region
The Shikoku area has, until now, had scarce information on dedicated courts, and even finding a place to play was a chore. A fixed base being created in Matsuyama could become an outlet for trips from neighboring prefectures and for holding regional tournaments and trial events. If a local multi-store chain gets a good response, developments where another location in the same group, or competing regional gyms, follow suit are also conceivable. Once a single hub proves that “pickleball can work in a region,” the entry decisions of those that follow become far easier. The play environment in Shikoku and the Chugoku region may begin to move with this Matsuyama hub as its starting point.
Things to confirm before using, and related information
Because the Higashiishii location is fully reservation-based, checking the availability of reservations and open slots in advance is a prerequisite for using it. Because we couldn’t find figures finalized in official announcements for the number of courts, fees, or visitor-use conditions, please be sure to confirm directly at the location’s reservation desk. Although it’s a 24-hour location, it’s also worth checking that the court’s available time slots aren’t necessarily the same as the gym’s business hours.
How the latest facilities in other regions are built is also a reference when looking for or building a court in your own town. The Handa case of starting with outdoor mat courts and adding indoor ones is summarizedAichi's Handa Gets the Prefecture's First Pickleball-Only Outdoor Courthere, and the design of putting three all-weather indoor courts in an urban area is summarizedCrossminton world champion Akihiko Nishimura opens a three-court indoor facility in Motoyawatahere. For those who want to review their paddle alongside choosing a court, the article ona specialty shop in Shibuya where you can test-hit 300 paddlesshould also be helpful.
Summary
The opening of a dedicated pickleball court by Matsuyama’s MEGA P・SPO24 Higashiishii shows a realistic model for regional spread, in that a local 24-hour gym entered by converting an existing floor. The significance of a fixed base being born in Shikoku is not small. Those looking for a place to play in Shikoku and the Chugoku region should first inquire at the Higashiishii location’s reservation desk about the number of courts, fees, and usage hours. Those who want to start a circle in their region will find it worthwhile to sound out nearby 24-hour gyms and indoor facilities about “turning empty space into a court.” The very idea of making use of the indoor space you have now becomes the shortcut to taking root pickleball in the regions.
