Tournament Overview
Event Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Check-in starts at 8:30 AM
Participants
Capacity: 200 players
Eligibility details below
Entry Fee
USD 50
(JPY 6,500)
Eligibility: Participants from Japan must be individual members of PJF. Anyone residing, working, or studying in Honolulu's sister cities, or who has ties to those cities (such as having family there), is welcome to participate.
Participation Fee: $50 (¥6,500). New individual members of PJF must pay an additional ¥2,500 (valid for one year) as membership dues. Existing members do not need to pay this fee.
Match Format: This event aims to foster player exchanges between sister cities. It will be held in a round-robin format, grouped by skill level, with an 11-point (gold, silver, and bronze medals determined by wins/losses and point differential). Participants will be paired with different partners each time, so individuals may join alone. Depending on registration numbers, we may consider gender-specific or mixed teams. Please note that the match format may change after registration.
Organizer: Japan Hawaii Pickleball Association (JHPA)
Support: Pickleball Japan Federation (PJF)
Purpose of the Tournament
The State of Hawaii and the City of Honolulu maintain sister-city and friendship-city relationships with 34 cities across Japan.
As interest grows in strengthening these connections even further, we have organized a new exchange event centered around pickleball—an increasingly popular sport in Japan.
We are pleased to announce that the City of Honolulu has officially approved the launch of this event as the “1st Honolulu Mayor’s Cup.”
We will promote ongoing sister-city exchange through pickleball and strengthen the connection between Honolulu and cities across Japan.
In addition, participants will visit Honolulu’s first dedicated indoor pickleball facility and its club community, helping support the sport’s further development in each sister city.
Program (One-Day Festival Format)
Welcome Reception (Pre-Event)
Friday, February 27, 2026
Hosted at the Consulate General of Japan
Tournament Day:
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Pickles at Forté (Downtown)
Tournament Format:
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Team matches divided into Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced levels
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Inter-city exchange matches
8:30
Check-in & Warm-up
9:00
Opening Remarks (Representatives from the City of Honolulu, JHPA, PJF, and Forte)
9:15
Exchange Mixer & Pro Clinic
11:30
Sister City Challenge (Round-robin format / 4–6 teams / 8–10 players per team) Round-robin format, skill-based, individual competition, 8–10 participants per group Subject to change based on application status
14:30
Crossover Finals & Skills Showcase (Drink Ladder, Serve Accuracy Challenge)
16:00
Award Ceremony & Aloha Social
16:30
Community Gathering & Group Photos
18:00
Closing
Awards
Exciting prizes will be awarded!
Round-trip tickets to Honolulu from Japan
Sand Bar Cruise (Captain Bruce)
Joola Cap (PJF Collaboration)
Dinner ticket for Hy’s Steak House
Outrigger Hotel discount coupon
Supported by:
Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu
Waikiki Emergency Clinic
Venue
Address:
1032 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813
🌐 https://www.picklesatforte.com
Contact:
(808) 758-4683 | pickles@fortedoho.com
Number of Courts:
14 indoor pickleball courts
Venue Highlights:
Forté is Honolulu’s first dedicated indoor pickleball club, offering a high-quality playing environment unaffected by weather, along with a unique club community that aligns perfectly with the spirit of cultural exchange.
The club also provides strong support for tournament operations and has a solid structure in place to welcome participants from sister cities on an ongoing basis.
Key Contacts:
Hawaii:
Rika Riordan (President, JHPA) — rika@pickleball-japan.org
Toshihiro Shoji Hawai’i Navigation Center of Japan ) — ts@m81.co
Japan:
Yuki Tanaka (PJF Executive Board Member / Secretary General) — yuki@pickleball-japan.org
Tournament Executive Committee:
Representatives from each participating Honolulu sister city
Supporting Sponsors
SUN NOODLE
OUTRIGGER
Pickles at Forté
Roberts Hawaii
ZIPAIR
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Elders
G. LION HAWAII (Hy’s Steak House)
ITOEN Hawaii
Urgent Care Clinic of Waikiki
CAPTAIN BRUCE (Heaven on the Sea Sandbar Cruise)
JOOLA JAPAN