People & Community
Our social contribution is deeply tied with our efforts to spread and develop sport. We believe that by providing many people with opportunities to play sport, we can not only spread sport and increase the number of athletes, but also contribute to the revitalization of communities, respect for diversity, and the fostering of healthy, rich minds through sport.
Yonex is Proud to be the Official Equipment and Service Supplier of Various International Tennis and Badminton Tournaments!
In addition to selling stringing machines, badminton court mats, poles, nets, and shuttlecocks in about 60 countries around the world, Yonex is the official BWF equipment and services supplier at 19 events during the 2019 BWF World Tour. In tennis, Yonex has been the official stringing service provider at the Australian Open since 2016 and supports many international tournaments. Yonex is now pleased to announce that we will be the Sole Supplier at the badminton and tennis events of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Development of Junior Athletes
We offer a variety of development programs globally for junior athletes on different levels, from knowing and enjoying various sports to aiming for international competition. We leverage our technology and human assets to help them engage in sport and nurture healthy bodies and minds.
Badminton Training Sessions
We have been offering training sessions at various locations both in and outside of Japan for many years, to “spread and develop badminton.” Our staff members (active and former players) visit clubs at schools and local communities to offer opportunities to enjoy badminton, such as giving technical guidance and demonstrations, and having rallies with participants.
Soft Tennis Training Sessions
Soft tennis is a popular sport as a school club activity in Japan. Our staff members (active and former players) visit clubs at schools and local communities to give training sessions including technical guidance and demonstrations, offering opportunities to enjoy soft tennis and appreciate its depth.
YONEX VAMOS J (Tennis)
“YONEX VAMOS J” is a development program for junior tennis players that started in 2011. We conduct camps that combine games and clinics, in order to develop athletes who will be actively compete on the global level. We conduct camps in eight blocks throughout Japan, and the winners participate in the Japan camp. The winner of the Japan Camp is invited as a guest player to join the European tour the following year. This program is intended for the winner to improve his or her skills by receiving the latest coaching and training from world-class coaches, and gain a foothold to reach the global stage. YONEX VAMOS J that started in Japan has now spread to various places around the world, and camps are conducted at locations including Chinese Taipei, Germany and England.
Kimiko Date x YONEX PROJECT
– Go for the Grand Slam (Tennis)
This project started from the shared vision between Kimiko Date and Yonex to “develop Japanese junior athletes into world-class players.” Four female junior players who were selected through document screening and tryouts will participate in camps for two years with Date, Shinobu Asagoe, Yaoki Ishii and Makoto Kawada (R-body project) as coaches, and work toward the goal of competing in the Junior Grand Slam.
The Legends’ Vision (Badminton)
The Legends’ Vision is an initiative put forward by five legends in badminton who have won numerous “No. 1” titles: Peter Gade (Denmark), Lin Dan (China), Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia), Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia), and Lee Yong Dae (Korea). Yonex has been supporting this initiative since 2015. Events have been held in China, Indonesia, Denmark, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, France, the U.S. and the U.K., where many children participated and appreciated the beauty of badminton.
The Legends’ Vision in California has launched 1) A Racquet Second Life, 2) Unlock Badminton, and 3) Legends' Summer Club League, as local initiatives. In collaboration with NGO, a racquet donation project is conducted to provide badminton equipment for urban youth with limited access to sport, and a league for club teams in California has been established.
Other badminton training sessions rooted in local communities are held all over the world, to offer juniors as well as a wide variety of people, the opportunity to enjoy the sport of badminton.
YONEX JUNIOR GROW UP PROJECT (Snowboarding)
YONEX JUNIOR GROW UP PROJECT offers lessons for elementary to high school students. The main theme is “enjoy snowboarding.” Yonex’s coaching staff who actively develops juniors, offers level-specific training. The top world-class snowboarders, Yuto Totsuka and Ruka Hirano, are some of the athletes who participated when they were younger.
YONEX Soft Tennis Kids Academy (Soft Tennis)
We hold this academy at various locations in Japan for children from 4 to 10 years old. Children under the age of ten are said to be in the “golden ages.” With teaching programs that factor in the stage of physical and neural development, we introduce them to the joy of soft tennis by using junior rackets and sponge balls, while incorporating some fun elements.
YONEX Junior Golf Academy (Golf)
Our junior development project aims to spread and develop junior golf. Through classes, junior tournaments and events held at approximately sixty locations across Japan, we offer the joy of golf to children and support the development of their skills, providing junior golfers with opportunities to put their skills into practice.
Empowering the youth of First Break Academy in Carson, California
Yonex USA has been supporting First Break Academy (FBA) as the Official Equipment Sponsor since February 2021. FBA is a non-profit organization offering safe, affordable, quality tennis programs, multi-sport activities, and educational opportunities to aspiring players of every level. We provide equipment to help FBA further their mission of building their players’ self-reliance, leadership and integrity alongside their athletic training to create “Champions in Life.”
Click here for FBA website
FBA’s tennis director, Susan Nardi won 2021 National Double-Goal Coach Award for her contributions to youth sports.
Click here for the clip
The NK Foundation x YONEX (Tennis)
The NK Foundation was established by Nick Kyrgios, a pro tennis player who belongs to Team Yonex, with the objective of building facilities to provide underprivileged children with opportunities to play and enjoy sport. Yonex supports the cause set forth by the NK Foundation and supports their activities. At the Australian Open in 2020, we helped to build a network of support by creating bracelets out of tennis strings used in actual matches and offering them to people who donated to the NK Foundation.
Click here for details
Promotion of Para Sports
In October 2014, the International Paralympic Committee announced that para badminton will be added as an official sport from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Also, in Japan, the Basic Act on Sports completely updated the Sports Promotion Act (enacted in 1961) after about 50 years in August 2011, putting into statutory form the promotion of active participation in sport by people with disabilities.
Yonex supports people with disabilities to actively participate in sport. We fervently support para badminton as one of our first efforts, and continue to contribute to the spread and development of various para sports.
Joint Efforts With Local Communities
Yonex has concluded partnership agreements with various local governments and educational institutions to pursue efforts to grow together, as we make use of each other’s resources and contribute to the development of sport and promotion of people’s health in local communities.
Nagaoka University of Technology
Comprehensive Partnership Agreement signed on October 21, 2016
We combine the advanced academic knowledge owned by Nagaoka University of Technology and the technology Yonex has developed over the years of manufacturing, to promote business-academia collaboration through efforts such as joint research and personnel exchanges with a long-term vision, and lead to the development of products with high added values.
Misatocho, Akita Prefecture
Comprehensive Partnership Agreement signed on December 26, 2018
Yonex has a comprehensive partnership agreement with Misatocho in Akita Prefecture that actively works to revitalize the local community through badminton. We work together in areas such as education, culture, promotion of health and community development, and make use of each other’s resources, with the aim of contributing to the promotion of sport and health of people in Misatocho, as well as the development of local community and human resources.
Soka Sport Association in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture
Comprehensive Partnership Agreement signed on February 14, 2019
We have a comprehensive partnership agreement with Soka Sport Association in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, with the aim of contributing to the people of Soka. Based on the “Soka City’s Declaration for the Development of Sports and Health,” we make use of our resources and work together, to build a city where people can lead healthier, richer lives through sport.
Soka City is where our Tokyo Factory and badminton team’s practice facility are located. We value our ties with the local government and pursue efforts to contribute to the revitalization of its communities.
Nagaoka City Sports Association in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture
Comprehensive Partnership Agreement signed on October 8, 2019
We have a comprehensive partnership agreement with Nagaoka City Sports Association in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, to contribute to the development of its local communities. We make use of each other’s resources to contribute to the promotion of sport and health of the people.
Nagaoka City is where our Niigata Factory is located, and has been the venue for “YONEX Ladies,” one of the women’s professional golf tournaments since 1999. We value our ties with the local government and pursue various efforts together.
YONEX Ladies (Golf Tournament)
Since the first tournament held at YONEX Country Club in 1999, YONEX Ladies has been only one golf tour event held in Niigata Prefecture. It is a sporting event deeply rooted in the local community and attracts many spectators every year.
YONEX Ladies has been co-hosted with Nagaoka City since 2016. It’s the only one event out of all men’s and women’s tournaments in Japan that is co-hosted with the host city. Many local companies co-sponsor the event, while people of Nagaoka City work as volunteers. It’s a truly community-based tournament that we build and enjoy with the local people.
