The Japan Pickleball Association (JPA) will hold the “JPA Kagoshima Open 2026” over three days,from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, 2026,at theNan-ei Lease Sakurajima Arena (Kagoshima City Sakurajima Gymnasium)in Kagoshima City. As the first large JPA-hosted official tournament held in southern Kyushu, this tournament will feature all five events—men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles—over three days, with12 courts on the arena floor (8 main, 4 sub)planned.
An unusual venue: an island gymnasium overlooking Sakurajima
The Nan-ei Lease Sakurajima Arena, this tournament’s venue, is located at1722-17 Yokoyama-cho, Sakurajima, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture.As you can tell from the address, the tournament venue is withinSakurajima,reached by crossing about 15 minutes by ferry from downtown Kagoshima. A “venue you cross to by ferry” is extremely rare among JPA-hosted official tournaments in Japan, so it looks set to be a memorable trip for players.
Tournament schedule and event lineup
| Schedule | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, May 22 | Men’s singles and women’s singles | Opening day; a weekday, so paid leave is a must |
| Saturday, May 23 | Men’s doubles and women’s doubles | The tournament’s main day |
| Sunday, May 24 | Mixed doubles | Final day, awards ceremony scheduled |
Entries are acceptedJPA Tournatedon the tournament’s dedicated page, with a deadline ofSunday, May 10, 2026, 23:59.Players considering the trip will want to move early to secure flights, ferry crossings, and accommodation.
A “southern hub” is born on the Kyushu pickleball map
Until now, pickleball in Kyushu has revolved around Fukuoka. In January 2026,the Zen-noh Energy Fukuoka Open 2026was held, and inThe Picklr’s plan for 20 facilities in Japan,the four cities of Fukuoka, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are named as hubs. However,southern Kyushu (Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima) had been a blank zone for JPA-hosted official tournamentsuntil now.
This Kagoshima Open 2026 is the first JPA-hosted, large-scale official tournament in southern Kyushu, and for participants from Miyazaki, Kumamoto, and Oita, it is a long-awaited tournament reachable by “one ferry plus the expressway.” It is drawing attention not only from northern Kyushu players but also from Kansai and Shikoku as a “Sakurajima trip.”
Why the Sakurajima Arena was chosen
The Sakurajima Gymnasium (Nan-ei Lease Sakurajima Arena) is alarge 12-court-scale gymnasiumthat has been used for official B.League basketball games and national table tennis tournaments. In the case of pickleball, one pickleball court fits in one badminton court, so using the entire arena floor allows operating8 main courts plus 4 sub courts.Gymnasiums able to lay out 12 courts at a single venue for JPA-hosted tournaments in Japan are surprisingly few, so the Kagoshima Open looks set to draw attention as a tournament where you can “play comfortably with little schedule congestion.”
Compared with tournaments in various regions, including this one, it ranks near the top for the number of courts at a single venue.Ehime Open 2026Three points traveling players will want to keep in mind
For players planning to take part in the Kagoshima Open, here are three points to keep in mind before the trip.
Access:
- From Kagoshima-Chuo Station, take the tram or bus to the Sakurajima Pier, cross by Sakurajima Ferry in 15 minutes, then about 10 minutes by bus after disembarking. Staying the night before is recommendedClimate:
- In late May, Kagoshima City averages around 22°C and is comfortable. However, there are days when volcanic ash from Sakurajima falls, so you’ll want to bring goggles and a maskAccommodation:
- There are few lodging facilities on Sakurajima, so staying in the city center (the Tenmonkan area) is recommended. The tournament period overlaps with the tourist season, so book earlyIts value as a tournament directly tied to the official JPA ranking
JPA-hosted open tournaments are often eligible for official JPA ranking points, and this Kagoshima Open is unlikely to be an exception. For the 2026 season,
the JPA and PJF are scheduled to merge and launch the new structure “Pickleball Japan” from April 14,and the JPA ranking is expected to carry over after the merger.For strongly competitive players aiming for qualification for the All-Japan Championship or international tournaments,
being able to earn points in southern Kyushu at the timing of late Maygives this tournament an important place in season strategy, too. Serious players from not only Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto but also Kansai and the Tokyo area are expected to enter.Q1. Where can I enter the Kagoshima Open 2026?
FAQ
You can apply from the tournament detail page on the official “Japan Pickleball” website or “JPA Tournated.” The entry deadline is Sunday, May 10, 2026, 23:59. JPA membership registration is required in advance, so first-time participants will find it smoother to complete membership registration early.
Q2. Can I compete in singles, doubles, and mixed at once?
Because the tournament guidelines split events by day, singles (5/22), doubles (5/23), and mixed (5/24) can be combined schedule-wise. It depends on your stamina and travel budget, but competing across all three full days lets you savor pickleball to the fullest on Sakurajima.
Q3. Can I enter the venue just to spectate?
Q3. Can I enter the venue just to spectate?
Past JPA-hosted tournaments have basically allowed free spectating, so the same operation is expected this time. It’s a rare tournament you can enjoy together with Sakurajima sightseeing, so bringing along the family and friends of traveling players is also recommended. Please check the official JPA announcement for the formal spectating rules.
Summary
The JPA-hostedKagoshima Open 2026will be heldfrom Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, 2026,in Sakurajima, Kagoshima City, at theNan-ei Lease Sakurajima ArenaUsing 12 courts on the arena floor (8 main, 4 sub), it is a large tournament that gets through all five events—singles, doubles, and mixed—over three days. As southern Kyushu’s first JPA-hosted official tournament, it looks set to draw attention not only from local Kyushu players but from across the country. The entry deadline is Sunday, May 10, 2026, so prepare for the trip early.
