The Picklr CEO Jorge Barragan Explains Decision to Expand in Japan, Says It’s Primed for Pickleball Explosion
The Picklr is already the world’s largest indoor pickleball franchise. So far, in fact, it boasts over 500 locations around the world, and it’s adding more and more. One country where The Picklr will be expanding in the next five years, in particular, is Japan, where the franchise is looking to open 20 pickleball facilities nationwide.
This expansion to Japan was announced back in May, and it includes plans to establish a facility in Tokyo first, followed by facilities in Kanagawa, Osaka, Aichi, and more. It is, to say the least, an ambitious and bold move for the franchise in its goal of global expansion. It is also quite surprising to a degree, as The Picklr bypassed three countries that are generally considered pickleball hubs in Asia—India, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
But in Zane Navratil’s PicklePod podcast recently, The Picklr’s Co-Founder and CEO Jorge Barragan explained the decision to go expand in Japan, calling it a “a great launch pad for the Asian markets.”
The Picklr Will Be There When Pickleball Takes Off in Japan
According to Barragan, Japan already has a strong racquet sports culture with existing infrastructure in place, which is why The Picklr team is nearly certain that pickleball will also take off in Japan the way it has in Malaysia, Vietnam, and India. He also pointed out the tireless efforts of Picklr Japan CEO Kenton Stehr in growing the sport in Japan as another reason the franchise will be aggressively expanding in this Asian superpower.
“I mean Kenton, for us, he was trying to achieve the things for us. Not only is he working to build the infrastructure of Picklr there, but he is also contributing to the overall growth of pickleball in general,” Barragan told Navratil, who is also a well-known pickleball pro. “I think Tokyo, that market is primed because there are a lot of tennis facilities right now. Racquet sports are huge in Japan. And then the culture behind wellness and community is significant. Then you have got a guy like Kenton behind it and the expertise of the Picklr.”
Barragan added: “We believe that we can catch up because of the infrastructure that is in place as far as Tokyo and the innovation that happens there. And then you have got a guy like Kenton that is going to lead the efforts there. I think the launch pad’s going to be pretty significant. Yes, I have always kind of been somewhat surprised that Japan has not had the same sort of explosion as Vietnam. And I think it is primed to do it.”
From the looks of it, Barragan could in the end be proven right. After all, pickleball is actually making some inroads in Japan already—so much so that Burger King even launched a Pickleball Burger there. Whatever the case may be, pickleball picking up steam in Japan is a win for the sport regardless, and it would only level up its standing as a global phenomenon.
