About the Japan Tennis Association
Introduction
The Japan Tennis Association (JTA) is a national sports federation (NF) that supervises and represents the tennis
community in Japan. Established in 1922 as a voluntary association, JTA became an incorporated foundation in 1980
and then a public-interest incorporated foundation in 2012 under a revised legal structure. Its main objective is to
promote tennis as a lifelong sport as well as a competitive spectator sport.
The JTA is a member of the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) and the Japan Sports Association (JASA), the International
Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF). Nine regional and 47 prefectural tennis associations
are affiliated with the JTA as its member organizations. JTA has established the Japan Tennis Consortium (JTC), a
leading consultative body, along with the Japan Professional Tennis Association (JPTA), the Japan Tennis Industry
Association (JTIA), the Japan Ladies Tennis Federation (JLTF), and the Japan Tennis Equipment Suppliers Association.
These organizations work together to address issues of mutual concern across the tennis community.
As a public-interest incorporated foundation, the JTA operates under the supervision of the Public Interest
Corporation Commission of the Cabinet Office. Its governance structure and business operations are defined in its
Articles of Incorporation, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. The JTA's Board of Councilors is its
highest decision-making body, and the Board of Directors is its highest executive body. A number of departments and
committees have been set up within this organizational framework to conduct various activities in close cooperation
with the Secretariat.
1. Promotion of Tennis
Tennis is a popular sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages for a lifetime. It also is a competitive sport
with a long history, comprising an important element of major national and international sports events, including
the Olympics and Paralympics. In the promotion of tennis, the JTA offers nine programs for public-interest purposes.
They are: (1) to develop tennis and provide tennis instruction and training; (2) to help improve the competitive
ability of tennis players; (3) to host national and international tennis tournaments, and to provide support to and
officially endorse tennis tournaments held throughout Japan; (4) to select and dispatch Japanese players to
international tennis tournaments, and to invite overseas players to Japan; (5) to train and certify tennis coaches
and referees; (6) to manage the registration of tennis players and their rankings; (7) to create and improve the
infrastructure and environment for sound development of tennis competition; (8) to conduct studies and research
projects for the promotion of tennis; and (9) to interact and cooperate with national and international tennis
organizations as well as other sports organizations.
Promotion of Tennis as a Lifelong Sport
JTA considers wider participation in tennis among children under age 10 to be key to the further development of
tennis in Japan. Working toward that goal, JTA has been promoting the TENNIS PLAY&STAY program, a campaign initiated
by ITF for children of that age group. Additionally, JTA has been working on the Japan Junior High School Physical
Culture Association so that tennis will become part of their official sports events. These efforts should help
improve the environment for junior high school tennis activities. The JTA also participates in Tennis Day, a
nationwide event for the promotion of tennis that is held annually on September 23, in collaboration with other
tennis-related organizations.
Other JTA priorities are to extend the online Japan Player Identification Number (JPIN) system for registration and
ranking to junior players, to provide information on licensed tennis instructors and tennis schools and clubs which
participate in the TENNIS PLAY&STAY program, and to promote the spirit of fair play in tennis tournaments at all
levels.
Promotion of Tennis as a Competitive Sport
JTA focuses on enhancing the skills of Japanese tennis players with the goal of securing medals at the Olympic Games.
Members of Japan’s national tennis team undergo rigorous training at the Ajinomoto National Training Center in Tokyo
equipped with indoor tennis courts exclusively for them. The national team receives financial backing from the Japan
Sports Council (JSC) and JOC, as well as private corporations and a large number of tennis players who make
systemized “one-coin” donations when they participate in tournaments. As both men’s and women’s tennis were included
in the junior athlete training project for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,the JTA has prioritized the development of
talented junior players in collaboration with JSC and the Japan Institute of Sports Science (JISS). Additionally,
the JTA has independently launched a specialized junior training program aimed at accelerating the development of
young players who aspire to join the national team.
Promotion of Tennis as a Spectator Sport
Many people around the world enjoy watching tennis competitions. In Japan, annual international and national
tournaments include the Japan Open Tennis Championships, the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament, the Japan
Women’s Open Tennis Tournament and the All Japan Tennis Championships. The JTA hosts or supports these major
tournaments as well as many regional tournaments held across Japan. The number of spectators has been increasing;
for example, the Japan Open Tennis Championships drew about 100,000 tennis fans last year. JTA also hosts annual
international junior tournaments such as the World Super Junior Tennis Championships in Osaka, and the Japan Junior
Tennis Championships in Nagoya.
2. Improvement in the Infrastructure and Environment for Tennis Competitions
JTA continues its efforts to upgrade the infrastructure and environment for sound development of tennis as a
competitive sport.
Management of the Tennis Player Registration System
As of the end of 2016, a total of 12,237 players were registered under the categories of professionals, amateurs of
all ages, and veteran amateurs.
Management of the Court Official Certification System
As of the end of 2016, there were a total of 4,114 court officials certified by the JTA. This compares with the
recent high of 4,869 persons in 2008 and the recent low of 3,493 persons in 2011.
Management of the Instructor Certification System
In accordance with JASA standards, the JTA has established six categories in its instructor certification system. As
of the end of 2016, a total of 4,723 certified coaches were listed. Additionally, the JTA offers an accreditation
system for elite coaches who train players competing on the international circuit. By the end of 2016, 66 ‘S-level’
elite coaches were registered.
3. Enhancement of Governance
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics approaching, the enhancement of governance at national sports
federations was gaining public attention. The JTA was committed to ensuring sound governance in its management and
operations. To this end, it established the Compliance Office and the Audit Office in 2013, which oversaw the
enforcement of the code of ethics, disciplinary procedures, and organize related seminars. Additionally, the JTA
promoted transparency and fairness by disclosing information about its organization and activities through its
website and the Investor Relations Office. To strengthen its financial foundation as a public-interest organization,
the JTA actively promotes sponsored tournaments, recruits supporting corporations, and collects donations.
In 2022, the Japan Tennis Association marked the 100th anniversary of its founding.
Japan’s Basic Tennis Data for 2016
| |
Number of persons |
Source |
| Tennis population |
4,390,000 |
Japan Tennis Association |
| Registered players |
12,237 |
Japan Tennis Association |
| (Professionals) |
(397) |
|
| (Amateurs) |
(3,856) |
|
| (Veteran Amateurs) |
(7,984) |
|
| Authorized court officials |
4,114 |
Japan Tennis Association |
| Authorized tennis instructors |
4,723 |
Japan Sports Association,
Japan Tennis Association |
| (Instructor I) |
(2,409) |
|
| (Instructor II) |
(1,2667) |
|
| (Coach I) |
(313) |
|
| (Coach II) |
(243) |
|
| (Coach III) |
(342) |
|
| (Coach IV) |
(149) |
|
| S-class elite coach |
66 |
Japan Tennis Association |
| President |
Yuji Fukasawa |
| Senior Executive Director |
Toshihisa Tsuchihashi |
| Secretary General |
Naoyuki Nozawa |