Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido to Host RUSUTSU Pickleball Open 2026 on June 28, 2026

Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido, operated by Rusutsu Resort Co. with headquarters in Sapporo, Hokkaido and led by President Hisatake Kamori, will hold the RUSUTSU Pickleball Open 2026 on Sunday, June 28, 2026. The open tournament will be hosted by Rusutsu Resort with support from the Pickleball Japan Federation (PJ), using the resort’s eight dedicated pickleball courts that opened last year. The event aims to promote pickleball, a new sport gaining global popularity, and to improve competitive standards by welcoming a wide range of players from beginners to intermediate levels. Beyond competition, the event is designed as a place for interaction and new community building, with the goal of sharing a new pickleball culture from Hokkaido. On Saturday, June 27, the day before the tournament, PJ will host a PJ Ambassador Certification Course, and PJ-certified professional Jo Kasahara will lead a Step Up Lesson. The resort will also hold a Soccer Clinic & Pickleball Experience led by former Japan national football team player Tsuyoshi Kitazawa. The special program is designed for children from third to sixth grade in elementary school and will let them experience the fun of both soccer and pickleball. In the evening, a Night Pickleball event will take place on courts illuminated by black lights. Players will use glowing paddles and balls for an exciting experience different from daytime play. Rusutsu Resort said it will continue enhancing sports tourism and wellness experiences through pickleball while working to develop pickleball culture in Hokkaido. The RUSUTSU Pickleball Open 2026 will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, 2026, across eight pickleball courts at Rusutsu Resort. Events include men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and men’s singles, each divided into beginner and intermediate classes. The format will consist of preliminary round-robin play followed by a final tournament, using first-to-11 scoring with no deuce. Official JOOLA outdoor 40-hole pickleballs will be used. Entry fees are 8,000 yen per doubles pair and 4,000 yen per singles entry, including tax. Related events will be held on Saturday, June 27. The PJ Ambassador Certification Course will run from 9:15 a.m. to noon, with classroom learning in the first half and practical training in the second half. Fees are 4,000 yen for PJ individual members and 5,000 yen for ambassador certification, including tax. The Step Up Lesson by PJ-certified professional Jo Kasahara will focus on strategies for winning and not missing chance balls, with sessions from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; the fee is 3,500 yen per person per lesson. The Soccer Clinic & Pickleball Experience for third- to sixth-grade elementary school students will run from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., featuring former Japan national football team player Tsuyoshi Kitazawa, with a participation fee of 2,000 yen including tax. Night Pickleball will run from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., offering a special experience with black lights, glowing paddles and balls, and music; participants in the PJ Ambassador Course, Step Up Lesson or the next day’s open tournament may join free of charge.