Pickleball × Footbath: Expanding ConnectionsPress Conference Announced for the “2026 Ofuro World Peace Project,” Supported by PJF

The 2026 Ofuro World Peace Project Executive Committee (Executive Committee Chair: Koji Inoue) is launching the “Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd. Presents: 2026 Ofuro World Peace Project,” an initiative designed to spread the sense of emotional ease and gentle moments that bathing culture can bring.

For Japanese people, the bath is something familiar. It brings a feeling of relief, a moment that makes you want to take a deep breath, and a sense of both body and mind relaxing. In today’s tense world, we hope that by sharing this experience with people around the globe, we can help create a society where people feel even a little more gentle and at peace.

The year 2026 is a special one, as the numbers “026” can be read as “ofuro” in Japanese wordplay, making it a once-in-a-millennium “Year of the Bath.” It also marks the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Italy, a country known both for its hot spring culture and for its thermae, or public bath culture.

This year, Italy hosted the global celebration of peace, the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. In this symbolic year of 2026, we aim to work together with Italy and make it the first year of sharing “Ofuro Peace” with the world. We also see this as part of our efforts toward the goal of having onsen culture registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage by 2030, by communicating the cultural value of bathing traditions to people around the world.

Prior to the official launch of this project, a press conference will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. We understand that members of the press have very busy schedules, but we would be sincerely grateful if you could kindly make time to attend.

If you wish to participate, please apply using the application form.

Press Conference Overview

Date & Time: Thursday, March 19, 2026, 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

Venue: “Suehiro,” 11th Floor, Tokyo Prince Hotel(3-3-1 Shiba Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8560, Japan)

Speakers: ・Koji Inoue: Executive Committee Chair, 2026 Ofuro World Peace Project

・Mutsuki Kameya: Vice Executive Committee Chair, 2026 Ofuro World Peace ProjectRepresentative, Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd.

・ONSENSEA: male group delivering “bath time pops,” warm and comforting music that evokes the relaxing feeling of taking a bath

・Takuma Usa of ONSENSE will be absent.

・Tsugiharu Ogiwara: Olympian and Third-Generation Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Ambassador

Moderator: Yasuhiro Fujisaki: Freelance Announcer

Program:

• Overview of the “Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd. Presents: 2026 Ofuro World Peace Project”

• Onsen Talk (“Yubanashi”): Tsugiharu Ogiwara, interviewed by Yasuhiro Fujisaki

• Announcement of ONSENSE as Project Ambassadors

• Unveiling of ONSENSE costumes(Costume support: Mitsumatsu Co., Ltd.)

• Video messages from Japan and Italy

• Photo session

• Media scrum interviews
  

Introduction of Press Conference Speakers

Tsugiharu Ogiwara

Alongside his twin brother, Kenji, Tsugiharu Ogiwara rose to prominence as a Nordic combined skier and began competing in the World Cup in 1994.

At the 1995 World Championships, he won a gold medal in the team event. In 1998, he achieved his long-held goal of competing at the Nagano Winter Olympics, where he finished among the top ranks.

After retiring from competition, he has appeared widely in the media as a sports commentator. As one of Japan’s leading Olympians, he has worked actively to promote and expand interest in sports, including winter sports.

In recognition of these contributions, he and his brother received the Japan Olympic Committee Special Achievement Award in 2017.

Drawing on his outdoor experience, he also launched the “Tsugiharu Mountaineering Club,” organizing tours while taking on the challenge of climbing Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. As of March 2026, he has reached the summit of 78 of them.

In July of last year, he was appointed Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Ambassador for his hometown of Kusatsu Town.

ONSENSE

ONSENSE is a six-member male group jointly produced by ASOBISYSTEM Co., Ltd. and TWIN PLANET Inc.

The group’s name, ONSENSE, is a coined term combining “ONSEN” (hot spring), a traditional part of Japanese culture, with “SENSE.”

Even on days when there are lots of little things that feel unpleasant, or when you simply feel that things are not going well, their message is to accept and forgive yourself as you are.

They describe their warm, soothing, and relaxing music—music that gives the comforting feeling of being in a bath—as “bath time pops,” and this is the concept behind their activities.

Background and Purpose of the “2026 Ofuro World Peace Project”

In Japan, bathing culture has long been cherished as a way to warm the body and restore balance to both body and mind. Many people experience a familiar sense of relief when taking a bath: an involuntary deep exhale, the easing of tension and irritation, and the relaxing of a stiffened body.

In Japan, the relationships formed in public baths and hot springs are sometimes described as “naked companionship.” This expresses the feeling that sharing the same bathwater naturally brings people closer, reducing emotional distance and deepening mutual understanding.

The 2026 Ofuro World Peace Project redefines “ofuro” and “naked companionship” not as something limited to undressing and bathing, but as sharing time together in the same warm water, taking deep breaths, and releasing physical and emotional tension. For example, even something like a footbath, while fully clothed, can offer similar benefits in terms of relaxation and communication.

The goal is not only to present bathing culture as a traditional aspect of Japan, but also to share it in forms that are easy for anyone, anywhere in the world, to adopt. Through this, the project aims to spread awareness of the value of taking time in daily life to breathe deeply and let go of tension. Ultimately, it seeks to make everyday life for people around the world just a little more peaceful, and for that to lead to a greater peace overall.

Supporting Organizations and Partner Companies for the “Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd. Presents: 2026 Ofuro World Peace Project”

Supporters Japan Tourism Agency (planned)Japan Spa AssociationJapan Triathlon UnionPickleball Japan FederationEmbassy of Italy in Japan (planned)

Special Sponsor Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd.

Special Cooperation Tokyo Prince Hotel

Costume Cooperation Mitsumatsu Co., Ltd.

Supporting Companies Plank Co., Ltd.Cross International Co., Ltd.one Co., Ltd. and others

We kindly ask that you reply by the date and time below, either via the application form or by email.

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

Application form

Media Inquiries

2026 Ofuro World Peace Project Executive Committee(c/o YASU PROJECT Co., Ltd.)

Contact: Koji Inoue Tel: 090-6774-6049 / 03-6228-5530 (Office)Email: inoue@yasuproject.com