TOKYO - Pickleball has recently been finding a home among Japanese players, growing over sevenfold domestically in the past year, with Tokyo hosting its first Tour Asia games in July as enthusiasts push for its inclusion as an Olympic sport.
Originally created in the United States, pickleball involves using a paddle to hit a perforated, plastic ball across a net on a court the same size as those used for badminton.
Approximately 24.3 million people play the game in the United States. Japan lags with about 330,000 according to domestic media specializing in pickleball, but numbers have jumped more than sevenfold in the past year.
Professional Pickleball Association Tour Asia held in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, in early July drew around 100 professional and over 300 amateur pickleball players from the United States and Asia. The final match attracted large crowds, including Princess Hisako, widow of Prince Takamado.
"I think we can create a wave in Japan if we're able to show how fun the game is," said Yuta Funemizu, who triumphed in the men's doubles final.
Two Japanese pickleball associations merged and began operating in April as the Pickleball Japan Federation, mirroring global moves to unify organizations amid a push to include the sport in the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia. The federation was accepted into the Japan Sport Association in June.
"The merger unified the rules, philosophy and tournament format, which will create ties with municipalities and schools," said Rika Riordan, chairperson of the Pickleball Japan Federation.
While the sport has seen an uptake in Japan, lovers of the sport still struggle with the lack of courts.
Pickleball "spreads quickly, so we must catch up to provide more spaces for those who are curious about the game," Riordan said.
