“PJF Pickleball Japan Open in Yamaguchi,” one of Japan’s largest international pickleball tournaments, was held from June 5 to 7, 2026, at Ishin Daiko Arena in Yamaguchi City. Players from Japan and abroad gathered at the venue, and at a co-hosted event, TOCO—a Japan-born brand developed by Bee’s Co., Ltd. of Higashiosaka, Osaka—set up a booth.
Players from Japan and abroad gather at a 16-court arena
Hosted by the Pickleball Japan Federation (PJF), the tournament ran over three days at Ishin Daiko Arena (Ishin Park, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture), which has 16 courts. The local Chugoku Shimbun introduced pickleball as a U.S.-born sport combining elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton, and touched on the growth of its playing population at home and abroad. Yamaguchi Prefecture, too, has high hopes for its ripple effect on the regional economy.
Japan-born brand “TOCO” offers trial experiences
TOCO exhibited on June 6 and 7 at the appeal-promotion booth of the co-hosted “Land of Fugu, Yamaguchi New Sports & Gourmet Festa.” TOCO is a Japan-born pickleball specialty brand created by Bee’s Co., Ltd. (Higashiosaka, Osaka), with the brand concept “With Your Steps.” It aims to combine competitive performance with a design that blends into daily life.
Exhibition content
At the booth, TOCO offered physical displays and trial experiences of its products, including paddles and apparel, along with a location-limited campaign. In a paddle market where overseas brands have led the way, it was a move by a Japanese company to broaden its recognition using the tournament as a stage.
Tournament overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tournament Name | PJF Pickleball Japan Open in Yamaguchi |
| Run | Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7, 2026 |
| Venues | Ishin Daiko Arena (Ishin Park, Yamaguchi City) |
| Number of courts | 16 courts |
| Host | Pickleball Japan Federation (PJF) |
| Co-hosted | Land of Fugu, Yamaguchi New Sports & Gourmet Festa |
Local and industry reaction
Yamaguchi Prefecture put effort into promoting tourism and local products through the co-hosted event, showing a stance of tying the sport to regional revitalization. TOCO, for its part, positioned trial experiences at a tournament—where competitors gather in one place—as a prime opportunity to deepen its brand. Visitors expressed interest in the chance to actually pick up and compare domestically made paddles. The move by regional cities to attract international tournaments and pair them with local brands is spreading to various areas.
Impact on readers and competitors
It is significant that a domestic option has been added to paddle choices that have been dominated by overseas brands.The prestigious tennis brand Dunlop is launching its first lineup of pickleball products, and amid a string of racquet brands entering the market, specialty brands like TOCO are also raising their profile. An environment where you can choose a paddle that suits your own feel through trial experiences is taking shape.
Ripple Effects on the Market
Japan’s pickleball market is in its infancy.The playing population is about 330,000 and the potential base is 11.89 million,which points to how much room there is to grow. The combination of hosting an international tournament in a regional city and having brands exhibit is drawing attention as an attempt to nurture both the sport and the regional economy at once.
The trend toward regional hubs
The development of tournament hubs is progressing nationwide.Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido’s eight PJF-certified courts enter their second season,and dedicated courts are being made permanent in various regions. The Yamaguchi case serves as a reference for a “composite” model of regional revitalization that bundles an international tournament with a local-products fair while making use of existing sports facilities.
Exhibiting brand information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand name | TOCO |
| Operating company | Bee’s Co., Ltd. (Higashiosaka, Osaka) |
| Concept | With Your Steps. |
| Exhibition dates | Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 |
| Displays | Physical displays of paddles, apparel, and more, plus trial experiences |
Summary
The international tournament held in Yamaguchi became a nexus where the rise of Japan-born brands and regional revitalization met, on top of the excitement of the competition itself. For a domestic brand to take the stage at a tournament in a market where overseas players lead marks a step toward Japanese pickleball maturing as a consumer market.
