Nittaku

What Nittaku does

Nippon Takkyu Co., Ltd. (Nittaku) is a privately held Japanese table tennis equipment manufacturer founded in 1920 as Harter Shokai and incorporated under its present name in 1947. The company is the only Japanese manufacturer of ITTF-certified table tennis balls and is the sole Japanese-owned maker offering a complete equipment range. Its product line spans rackets, rubber sheets, balls, tables, shoes, apparel, and accessories, manufactured principally at the Koga Factory (relocated in 2003) and the NECO'S eco-friendly ball factory (opened 2017). Proprietary technical platforms include Aryl Carbon blade technology, tension-spin rubber sheets, and antiviral/antibacterial ball treatments, with racket manufacturing expertise derived from a heritage in stringed-instrument production. The company sells exclusively through an authorized-dealer network supported by regional sales offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo.

Nittaku's customers are Japanese and international table tennis players segmented across elite professionals, competitive club players, recreational players, and schools. The company maintains a roster of contract athletes that includes Mima Ito, Hina Hayata, Kokomi Ishida, Soma Ono, Kenta Tazoe, Aoba Takahashi, and China's Ma Long. It is the official ball at more than 50 world championships since 1971, the Tokyo 2020 and London 2012 Olympics, and Japan's professional T-League. The company also holds the exclusive Japan distribution rights for DHS's Hurricane Long 5 racket and co-develops footwear with YONEX. Revenue mechanics are B2B: Nittaku sells wholesale to its authorized dealer network, with no direct-to-consumer channel.

Ownership and governance are concentrated within the founding Kitaoka family, now in its fourth generation following the 2024 appointment of Kenichiro Kitaoka as president. The company is not publicly listed, has not raised venture capital, and discloses no financial figures, making it a classic Japanese long-horizon family-controlled specialty manufacturer.

Name

Nittaku

Legal name

日本卓球株式会社 (Nippon Takkyu Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://nittaku.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Nittaku (Nippon Takkyu Co., Ltd.) is a 100-year-old, family-owned Japanese manufacturer of table tennis rackets, rubber sheets, balls, tables, shoes, and apparel — the only Japanese maker of ITTF-certified balls and the sole Japanese-owned complete-equipment producer, selling exclusively through an authorized dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Table Tennis Equipment

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Table Tennis (Ping Pong) Equipment Retail (CRAMAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Physical Education & Athletics Equipment (Gym, Sports Gear, Scoreboards) (EDAEAIAG)

Keywords

• Table tennis equipment
• Table tennis rackets
• Rubber sheets
• Competition balls
• Table tennis apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Table Tennis Equipment Sales: Nittaku generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of complete table tennis equipment including rackets, rubber sheets, balls, tables, shoes, apparel, bags, and accessories. Sales are conducted exclusively through authorized dealers in Japan and international markets. Revenue is primarily one-time product sales with recurring demand from rubber and ball replacement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Nittaku (Nippon Takkyu Co., Ltd.) is a Japanese table tennis equipment manufacturer that designs, produces, and sells a complete line of rackets, rubber sheets, balls, tables, shoes, apparel, bags, and accessories. The company is the only manufacturer in Japan producing ITTF-certified 3-Star Premium competition balls, with its 3-star balls selected as the official ball for over 50 world championships and Olympic Games since 1971. Sales are conducted exclusively through an authorized dealer network in Japan and select international markets.

Product overview

Nittaku (日本卓球株式会社) is a comprehensive Japanese table tennis equipment manufacturer offering a complete range of products for the sport. The product portfolio includes: (1) Core equipment - rackets (including shakehand, penhold, and penhold-blade styles) featuring proprietary technologies like Acoustic Carbon and Violin Carbon series, and rubbers such as the FastArc and Hurricane/Kyuhyo series; (2) Balls - internationally certified competition balls including the ITTF-approved PLA 3 Star Premium, which is the only domestically produced certified ball in Japan, and the Nittaku 3 Star ball with decades of World Championship and Olympic use; (3) Apparel - game shirts, shorts, socks, and warm-up wear; (4) Accessories - bags, cases, supporters, towels; (5) Shoes - including the YONEX co-developed Moving Ace and Moving Aero series; (6) Table tennis tables and equipment; and (7) Publications - the Nittaku News monthly magazine. The company also operates the Nittaku Table Tennis School for training programs. As the sole remaining Japanese-owned table tennis equipment manufacturer with complete in-house production capabilities, Nittaku serves players from beginners to Olympic-level competitors including notable athletes like Ito Mima, Hayata Hina, and Ma Long (using the Hurricane Long 5 racket).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hurricane Long 5 (キョウヒョウ龍5) Racket Premium shakehand offensive blade priced at ¥44,000 with proprietary Aryl Carbon material achieving high speed while maintaining ball retention and feel. Used by Olympic gold medalist Ma Long and other top international players.
• FastArc C-1 Rubber (ファスターク C-1) Balance-focused table tennis rubber with proprietary Tension Spin Sheet compound providing strong grip and spin. Priced at ¥5,720–¥7,480 across C-1, G-1, and S-1 variants.
• PLA 3 Star Premium (プラ3スタープレミアム) Ball ITTF-certified premium plastic competition ball manufactured in Japan, priced at ¥1,188 for a 3-pack. Used in major international competitions including World Championships and Olympic Games.
• Moving Ace (ムービングエース) Shoes Premium table tennis footwear priced at ¥19,800, jointly developed with YONEX. Engineered for table tennis-specific footwork with strong yet gentle fit and stable power transfer.
• Moving Aero (ムービングエアロ) Shoes Nittaku × YONEX co-developed table tennis shoes priced at ¥19,800, offering lightweight performance and improved fit over the Moving Ace.
• Acoustic Carbon LG Type (アコースティックカーボンLGタイプ) Racket High-performance offensive blade using the proprietary string instrument manufacturing technique with five-wood plus two FE carbon layers for high speed and superior feel.
• PG7 NXD Racket New offensive shakehand racket priced at ¥15,400, developed in collaboration with DHS for reliable performance.
• BLASTAC (ブラスタック) Rubber Table tennis rubber included in 2026 Spring/Summer new product lineup, priced at ¥5,720.
• Game Apparel and Uniform Shirts JTTA-certified competition apparel including game shirts, polo shirts, T-shirts, warm-up wear, and socks. Uniform shirts ¥5,800–¥8,580, polo shirts ¥4,400, T-shirts ¥2,200–¥3,300.
• Nittaku Table Tennis School (ニッタク卓球教室) Table tennis instruction and training programs operated by Nittaku for beginners and advanced players.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nittaku 3-star balls have been selected for use at over 50 world championships and international events since 1971
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 紅双喜社 / Double Happiness (DHS) - ChinacoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive Japanese distribution partnership with Chinese table tennis equipment manufacturer Double Happiness (紅双喜社). Nittaku serves as the exclusive Japan agent for DHS products including the Hurricane Long 5 racket (used by Ma Long) and other DHS-made equipment. This partnership brings internationally acclaimed Chinese table tennis gear to the Japanese market, complementing Nittaku's own product lines.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• andro (TT-Shop): German table tennis equipment manufacturer focused on rackets and rubbers with technical innovation (e.g., Polyfiber technology). Competes with Nittaku's premium racket and rubber offerings, particularly in European markets.
• Donic: German table tennis equipment manufacturer offering rackets, rubbers, and balls. Long-standing competitor in the global table tennis equipment market with similar product breadth and target customer segments (competitive amateurs to professionals).
• Cornilleau: French table tennis brand specializing in competition tables and full equipment range. Competes with Nittaku in tables, rackets, and balls; especially strong in European club and tournament segments.
• Butterfly (Tamasu Co., Ltd.): Japan's largest and most globally recognized table tennis equipment brand. Competes head-to-head with Nittaku across rackets, rubbers, balls, and apparel; supplies the Japanese national team and most top global players. Same product categories, same Japanese manufacturing heritage, similar pricing.
• STIGA Sports: Swedish table tennis equipment brand with comprehensive product lines (rackets, rubbers, balls, tables). Competes with Nittaku globally, particularly in Europe. Similar vertical integration from manufacturing through distribution.
• Joola: German-based table tennis brand with full equipment lineup and a strong U.S. presence. Recently expanded into pickleball. Comparable to Nittaku in serving both competitive and recreational players across rackets, rubbers, and tables.
• Tibhar: French-origin table tennis equipment manufacturer with comprehensive product portfolio. Direct competitor in the global premium racket/rubber/ball market, with similar athlete endorsement strategy.
• Double Happiness (DHS): China's largest table tennis equipment manufacturer and Nittaku's exclusive Japan distribution partner. DHS manufactures the Hurricane Long 5 racket that Nittaku distributes in Japan; also a direct competitor globally with full equipment lines. Same product categories, overlapping customer base of competitive players.
• Victas: Japanese table tennis brand (successor to TSP), offering premium rackets, rubbers, and apparel. Directly competes with Nittaku in the Japanese market with similar athlete endorsement model (e.g., contract players in T-League).

Broad incumbents

• YONEX: Japanese sporting goods giant and Nittaku's co-development partner for table tennis shoes (Moving Ace, Moving Aero). YONEX also produces its own table tennis equipment line and dominates adjacent racquet sports (badminton, tennis). Closely comparable in product technology and Japanese manufacturing pedigree.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nittaku_news
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NittakuPromotion
• Instagraminstagram.com/nittaku_official

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nittaku