A new three-generation tournament, “Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Summer–Autumn,” has been announced.

The Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship Executive Committee(Athlonia Inc. / TIPNESS Co., Ltd. / YASU PROJECT Co., Ltd., Representative: Masaharu Kobayashi) will hold the “Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Summer–Autumn,” a three-generation pickleball tournament, from July to September 2026.

Qualifying rounds will be held at pickleball courts in Minato City from early July, and ahead of Respect for the Aged Day, the quarterfinals and semifinals will take place on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 at the Tokyo Tower Best Amenity Pickleball Court on the rooftop of Tokyo Tower Foot Town.

The “Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Summer–Autumn,” which will be held for the first time this year, is a pickleball tournament for the general public that can be enjoyed by three generations. Actress Yuno Nagao will appear as the cheering partner representing the grandchildren’s generation and will team up with a participant selected through a public application to play in an exhibition game.

Prior to the tournament, a press conference to announce the event overview will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 13:00. We understand members of the press may have busy schedules, but we would be grateful if you could attend.

If you wish to participate, please apply using the media application form on page 3 of this document or by returning the media application sheet.

“Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Summer–Autumn” Press Conference Overview

Date and Time: Thursday, March 19, 2026, 13:00–13:45(Doors open: 12:30)

Venue:“Suehiro,” 11F, Tokyo Prince Hotel(3-3-1 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Speakers:

• Taro Shirato, Chairperson, Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Executive Committee

• Koji Inoue, Vice Representative / Chair of Public Relations Committee, Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship Executive Committee

• Yuki Tanaka, Executive Director, Pickleball Japan Federation

• Yuno Nagao

Moderator:Yasuhiro Fujisaki (Freelance Announcer)

Program

• Explanation of the tournament overview

• Announcement of the public call for Yuno Nagao’s partner

• Photo session

• Press scrum interview

  
  

Guest Profile

Yuno Nagao

Yuno Nagao made her acting debut in the 2018 drama Cold Case 2: Shinjitsu no Tobira (WOWOW).

She gained attention in the 2023 drama Brush Up Life (Nippon TV), where she played the childhood role of the main character, Asami Kondo, portrayed by Sakura Ando.

In 2024, she played Pinoko in Black Jack (TV Asahi), and also appeared as a guest in episode 6 of Kasouken no Onna season 24 (TV Asahi) as Nana Inomata, a first-grade elementary school student with investigative skills beyond her years, while also serving as a promotional ambassador for the series.

In 2025, she voiced Lilo in the Japanese version of the live-action Lilo & Stitch, and played Rin Nanase, a gifted girl with amnesia, in the drama The Day of the Kidnapping (TV Asahi).

In 2026, she will voice the lead character Amelie in the Japanese version of Amélie and the Rain Story, an Academy Award-nominated animated feature, which will be released nationwide in Japan on March 20, 2026.

In addition to acting, she is also active in a wide range of fields, including television appearances and directing.

Organizer and Supporting Organizations for the “Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Summer–Autumn”

Organizer:Minato City Cup Tokyo Tower Pickleball Friendship 2026 Executive Committee(Athlonia Inc. / TIPNESS Co., Ltd. / YASU PROJECT Co., Ltd.)

Sponsors:Best Amenity Co., Ltd. / Relive Co., Ltd. / Hollywood Co., Ltd. / SCO Group Co., Ltd. / Suntory Beverage Solution Co., Ltd. / Tokyo Prince Hotel

Operational Cooperation:Pickleball Japan Federation

Special Cooperation:TOKYO TOWER Co., Ltd. / Japan Sports Facilities Co., Ltd. / Minato City (planned) / Minato City Board of Education (planned)

About Pickleball

Pickleball is a sport that was born in the United States in 1965 and combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It is played on a court the same size as a badminton court, using solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball back and forth.

Compared with many other sports, pickleball is relatively easy to learn and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders. At the professional level, however, it is a deep and highly strategic sport in which not only power and speed, but also tactics, play an important role.

Pickleball is said to be the fastest-growing sport today. In the United States, the number of players reached 13.6 million in 2024, representing an increase of 223.5% over the past three years.

In Japan, the number of players was said to be 3,000 in 2023 and 5,000 as of April 2024. However, due to increased media exposure during 2024, the number was estimated to have reached 10,000 by December 2024 and 20,000 as of January 2025, showing that the sport is rapidly gaining popularity.

(Excerpted from the Pickleball Japan Federation website)

Media Registration Form

We would appreciate it if you could reply by the date and time below using either the application form or by email.

Reply deadline: Wednesday, March 18, 7:00 PM Reply email address: inoue@yasuproject.com

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For Media Inquiries

Tokyo Tower Pickleball Court Friendship Public Relations Office(within YASU PROJECT Co., Ltd.)

Contact Person: InoueTel: 090-6774-6049 (direct) / 03-6228-5530 (office)Email: noue@yasuproject.com