Tokyo is set to host Japan’s largest pickleball tournament when the third PJ Pickleball Championships take place at Ariake Tennis no Mori from December 7 to 11.
The five-day event will attract as many as 2,000 players to the Japanese capital and will have 60 courts, making it one of the largest pickleball gatherings in the country. The tournament will also have a total prize and award pool of more than ¥15 million, as well, Pickleball Japan says.
The 2026 edition will be even larger than those in previous editions. Organisers have also introduced the PPA Asia 125 PJ Tokyo Challenger, which will be held alongside the main championships and will mark the first time a PPA Asia 125 event is held in Japan.
About 2,000 Players To Compete Across 60 Courts
The PJ Pickleball Championships will be held at Ariake Tennis no Mori, a venue that has hosted major international tennis events. Of the 60 courts for the tournament, 24 will be indoor courts to provide additional playing opportunities during the five days.
A good number of people on the pickleball list will be coming here, and that will be very friendly to everyone of any age and any skill level as pickleball is expanding in Japan. There will be around 2,000 people coming from Japan and around the world.
The tournament has become an important event on Japan's pickleball calendar as the sport is spreading across the country. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis and is played on a smaller court with paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
Japan's pickleball community has grown considerably over the past decade. The sport was still relatively unknown when pickleball was first organized in the country, and tournaments, clubs and dedicated facilities were developed.
The PJ Championships in 2026 will therefore combine mass participation with an international professional component, which will support recreational players and elite competitors to take part in the same event.
Ben Johns And Anna Bright To Make Japan Debuts
And leading international players Ben Johns and Anna Bright will be among the biggest attractions of this year’s tournament.
Johns, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, and Bright, who is No. 2, will both make their Japan debut in the PPA Asia 125 tournament. In the tournament, Japan's Yuta Funamizu will also play as the first player from Japan to compete in Major League Pickleball.
Funamizu will form a men's doubles partnership with Johns, creating one of the headline pairings of the tournament.
The PPA Asia 125 competition will run from December 7 to 9. Men's and women's singles will go down on the first day, followed by mixed doubles on December 8 and men's and women's doubles on December 9.
The event will give Japanese players an opportunity to compete with international players while also linking the domestic tournament scene to the global professional pickleball scene.
Pickleball Japan's official website describes the PPA Asia 125 PJ Tokyo Challenger as an international tournament and confirmed that registration opened on September 14.
Tokyo event highlights Pickleball’s growth in Japan.
At this time, the PJ Pickleball Championships are taking place as the sport is booming in Asia. Japan is a part of a regional growth story; pickleball is drawing both recreational players and professional competition.
The Tokyo tournament will also provide a link between recreational and professional events. The first three days of the PJ Championships will also feature the PPA Asia 125 competition, while the overall five-day championship will have a larger field of participants.
The size of the event is reflected in both the number of courts and the expected number of players in it. With over 2,000 players and 60 courts, the organisers are positioning the tournament as Japan's biggest pickleball event.
The Ariake venue is also important. Ariake Tennis Forest Park is equipped with facilities used during the Tokyo Olympics and has experience hosting big tennis competitions. The PPA Asia 125 event will take place at the park and Ariake Coliseum.
The tournament will conclude on December 11, and the event organisers hope the expanded event will enhance pickleball’s popularity in Japan.
With a large amateur field, international professionals and Japan's first PPA Asia 125 event, the December tournament will also be an important part of the country's growing pickleball community.
