{"id":3647,"date":"2026-06-11T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/?post_type=news&p=3647"},"modified":"2026-06-15T16:01:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T07:01:56","slug":"japan-open-toco","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/en\/news\/japan-open-toco\/","title":{"rendered":"The international tournament \"Japan Open\" opens in Yamaguchi\u2014Japan-born brand TOCO exhibits at a concurrent event"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPJF Pickleball Japan Open in Yamaguchi,\u201d one of Japan\u2019s 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\u2014a Japan-born brand developed by Bee\u2019s Co., Ltd. of Higashiosaka, Osaka\u2014set up a booth.<\/p>\n

Players from Japan and abroad gather at a 16-court arena<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Japan-born brand \u201cTOCO\u201d offers trial experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

TOCO exhibited on June 6 and 7 at the appeal-promotion booth of the co-hosted \u201cLand of Fugu, Yamaguchi New Sports & Gourmet Festa.\u201d TOCO is a Japan-born pickleball specialty brand created by Bee\u2019s Co., Ltd. (Higashiosaka, Osaka), with the brand concept \u201cWith Your Steps.\u201d It aims to combine competitive performance with a design that blends into daily life.<\/p>\n

Exhibition content<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tournament overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Tournament Name<\/td>\nPJF Pickleball Japan Open in Yamaguchi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Run<\/td>\nFriday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7, 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Venues<\/td>\nIshin Daiko Arena (Ishin Park, Yamaguchi City)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of courts<\/td>\n16 courts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Host<\/td>\nPickleball Japan Federation (PJF)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Co-hosted<\/td>\nLand of Fugu, Yamaguchi New Sports & Gourmet Festa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Local and industry reaction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\u2014where competitors gather in one place\u2014as 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.<\/p>\n

Impact on readers and competitors<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Ripple Effects on the Market<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Japan\u2019s pickleball market is in its infancy.The playing population is about 330,000 and the potential base is 11.89 million,<\/a>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.<\/p>\n

The trend toward regional hubs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The development of tournament hubs is progressing nationwide.Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido\u2019s eight PJF-certified courts enter their second season,<\/a>and dedicated courts are being made permanent in various regions. The Yamaguchi case serves as a reference for a \u201ccomposite\u201d model of regional revitalization that bundles an international tournament with a local-products fair while making use of existing sports facilities.<\/p>\n

Exhibiting brand information<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Brand name<\/td>\nTOCO<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operating company<\/td>\nBee\u2019s Co., Ltd. (Higashiosaka, Osaka)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Concept<\/td>\nWith Your Steps.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Exhibition dates<\/td>\nSaturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Displays<\/td>\nPhysical displays of paddles, apparel, and more, plus trial experiences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/h2>\n