On April 7, 2026, Pickleball One Inc. (representative: Shusaku Kumakura), while carrying out fundraising, announced a partnership with five major Japanese companies: Asics Ventures, Sansan, TBS Innovation Partners, Dentsu Group, and Mitsui Fudosan. With an unusual structure where five companies from different industries\u2014shoes, business SNS, media, marketing, and real estate\u2014participate all at once, Japan's pickleball industry finally shifts from a \u201cgrassroots phase\u201d to a \u201cfull-scale industrialization phase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What's noteworthy about this partnership is that, rather than mere investment, each company collaborates in a specific business domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Asics Ventures Inc.<\/strong> 2. Sansan Inc.<\/strong> 3. TBS Innovation Partners LLC<\/strong> 4. Dentsu Group Inc.<\/strong> 5. Mitsui Fudosan Inc.<\/strong> Pickleball One was founded in July 2023, with its headquarters in Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Its business content is as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind achieving a large partnership with five Japanese companies in just under three years since founding is the rapid expansion of Japan's pickleball market.The domestic number of players has reached over 45,000, 15 times that of 2023,<\/a>and facility shortage has emerged as the next challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. market data cited in the press release is striking. About 1 in 5 adults (about 50 million) played pickleball in the past year. It has been chosen as \u201cthe fastest-growing sport in America\u201d for four consecutive years. Seeing this prior U.S. case, major Japanese companies became convinced that \u201cthe same thing will happen in Japan\u201d and decided to enter all at once\u2014that's the essence of this five-company alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What's especially noteworthy is that the \u201cdivision of turf\u201d among the five entering companies is clear. Asics handles equipment, Sansan facilities, TBS media, Dentsu marketing, and Mitsui Fudosan the B2B league. Their domains don't overlap, forming a lineup that covers the entire value chain of Japan's pickleball industry. This is not a coincidence but is thought to be the result of Pickleball One designing an industry ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Pickleball One five-company partnership announcement was made at almost the same time asthe merger announcement of the JPA (Japan Pickleball Association) and PJF (Pickleball Japan Federation)<\/a>. In April 2026, in Japan's pickleball world, two historic moves\u2014\u201cunifying the governing body\u201d and a \u201clarge alliance of industry players\u201d\u2014are progressing simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The governing-body side is developing a competition organization with an eye on official-event status at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics; the industry side is expanding the pickleball market as a business. With both of these wheels starting to move at once, Japan's pickleball is shedding its skin from an \u201cextension of a hobby\u201d to a \u201cfull-scale sports industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will advance the expansion of a footwear-rental business suited to pickleball and efforts to strengthen the competitive base. Asics itself already rolls out pickleball shoes overseas, and a pathway starting from rental is designed for the Japanese market too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will promote new court operations in Ikebukuro and efforts to use pickleball as a means of business communication. Sansan has alreadyannounced the July opening of the \u201cSansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro,\u201d<\/a>and this partnership will accelerate corporate use of pickleball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will handle holding events and international tournaments and developing sports content. Leveraging a TV station's content-production strength, there's a possibility of turning pickleball into video and programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leveraging the know-how cultivated in the sports-marketing domain, it supports everything from spreading the sport to building a fan base. The entry of Dentsu, which has built a track record at large sports events including the Olympics, greatly advances pickleball's branding strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It runs the corporate league \u201cCorporate Pickleball & BIZ CUP.\u201d Mitsui Fudosan is known for developing commercial facilities and office districts, and it aims to propose a fusion of \u201cplaces to work\u201d and \u201cplaces to exercise\u201d through corporate competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPickleball One's existing business and future developments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Background of the U.S. market\u2500\u2500why did five major companies move at once<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Around the same time as the \u201cPickleball Japan\u201d merger\u2500\u2500two historic moves in the industry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Impact on players and businesspeople<\/h2>\n\n\n\n