Mitani Sangyo Group's Miraikasei Develops Next-Generation "Pickleball Paddle" Utilizing Recycled Carbon Fiber Non-woven Fabric in Collaboration with Be-s Inc. (TOCO)

Miraikasei Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture, President: Toshio Yamazaki, hereinafter "Miraikasei"), a group company of Mitani Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, President: Tadateru Mitani, hereinafter "Mitani Sangyo"), which primarily sells chemical industrial products and food ingredients, announces that it will jointly develop a "pickleball paddle" using recycled carbon fiber non-woven fabric with Miraikasei's proprietary technology, in collaboration with Be-s Inc. (Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture, President: Kyo Ohgami, Brand Name: TOCO, hereinafter "Be-s").

This development aims to realize a paddle that leverages the characteristics of recycled carbon fiber non-woven fabric, with the technical cooperation of Toray Industries, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Mitsuo Ohya, hereinafter "Toray") and Teijin Limited (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka, President & CEO: Tetsushi Uchikawa, hereinafter "Teijin"), who are material manufacturers.

Development sample of a pickleball paddle utilizing recycled carbon fiber non-woven fabric and a demonstration of trial play.

Furthermore, the development paddle sample will be unveiled for the first time at the "SPORTEC® 2026" sports and health industry exhibition, scheduled to be held from July 8 (Wed) to July 10 (Fri), 2026, where visitors will be invited to try it out.

Background of Development and Roles of Miraikasei and Be-s

"Pickleball" is a sport with a rapidly expanding market, primarily in North America, and its growth is also expected in Japan.

On the other hand, the sports equipment sector is also facing demands for environmental impact reduction, such as improving resource utilization efficiency and reducing waste, making the development of high-performance products using recycled materials a key theme.

Miraikasei currently focuses on application development, leveraging its proprietary recycling technology to recover and regenerate carbon fibers from CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) *1. *2 This development is one such initiative, where Miraikasei will be responsible for the integrated research and development, from processing the recycled carbon fibers into non-woven fabric to molding them into the paddle shape.

*1 CFRP is a material made by mixing resin with carbon fibers. It is a cutting-edge material used in a wide range of fields, including sports equipment, aircraft, automobiles, and wind turbine blades, due to its light weight, high strength, and corrosion resistance. *2 Miraikasei does not engage in mass production but is responsible for research and development related to product manufacturing methods.

Be-s, through its own brand "TOCO," is responsible for designing product concepts, planning product specifications, brand development, and formulating sales strategies, driving product development that meets market needs. In this development, Be-s will lead the commercialization based on the usability and marketability as actual sports equipment, while leveraging Miraikasei's technology for recycled carbon fibers.

Features of Technology and Product ~Adopting CFRP Using "T800" Carbon Fiber for Aircraft Applications~

This paddle uses recycled carbon fibers made from CFRP offcuts generated during the manufacturing process of aircraft parts. The "T800" contained in these CFRP offcuts is a carbon fiber from Toray adopted for aircraft applications, offering high strength despite its light weight. This development aims to realize a next-generation paddle with a hitting feel that firmly captures and rebounds the ball by utilizing these material characteristics and adopting recycled carbon fiber non-woven fabric for the surface (hitting surface).

Support from Toray and Teijin

With the technical support from Toray and Teijin, this development will proceed integrally from product design that leverages the characteristics of high-quality recycled carbon fibers to processing and commercialization, verifying the applicability to paddles.

- Toray's design technology cooperation

Toray will provide advice on technical know-how related to Miraikasei's design, evaluation, and application development for the recycling of "T800" carbon fiber for aircraft applications, contributing to improved product value.

- Teijin's processing technology cooperation

Teijin will be responsible for selecting appropriate resins and impregnating the non-woven fabric, finishing the recycled carbon fibers into a usable form for products, and contributing to ensuring durability.

Exhibition at SPORTEC® 2026 (Exhibition Website: https://sports-st.com/)

The development paddle sample will be unveiled for the first time at "SPORTEC® 2026," one of Japan's largest sports and health industry exhibitions, where trial play experiences will be offered to visitors.

Item

Details

Exhibition Name

SPORTEC® 2026

Exhibition Period

July 8 (Wed) - July 10 (Fri), 2026

Venue

Tokyo Big Sight East Exhibition Hall (3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo)

Organizer

SPORTEC Executive Committee, Japan Sport & Health Industry Promotion Association

Exhibition Booth

East Hall 8, Event Space

Miraikasei will promote the development of new applications for recycled carbon fiber through this initiative, and will work on the social implementation of materials that can promote full-scale deployment in the sports field and resource circulation. We will continue to focus on product development utilizing high-quality carbon fibers derived from aircraft applications, aiming to expand our product lineup that balances environmental value and performance value.

(Supplementary Information)

[About Be-s] https://www.be-s.co.jp/ Be-s Inc. is a fabless manufacturer founded in Osaka Prefecture in 1997. It engages in unique product planning and brand development, including the outdoor brand "DOD," the gaming furniture brand "Bauhutte," and the sports brand "TOCO." TOCO, as a sports lifestyle brand centered on pickleball, is working to popularize the sport and expand the playing environment in Japan through the development of equipment.

[About Toray] https://www.toray.co.jp/ Founded in 1926, Toray Industries, Inc. is a comprehensive manufacturer of advanced materials that operates in a wide range of fields, starting with fibers and extending to resins and films, electronic information materials, carbon fiber composite materials, and water treatment and medical applications. Through the creation and deployment of advanced materials and technologies such as carbon fiber, the company manufactures and sells products in fields such as mobility and energy.

[About Teijin] https://www.teijin.co.jp/ Established in 1918 as Japan's first rayon manufacturer, Teijin is now a global corporate group that co-creates value through a customer-centric business model in the areas of "Apparel & Industries," "Healthcare & Life Solutions," "Electronics & Energy," and "Specialty Materials." The group is engaged in various businesses to realize its long-term vision of "Becoming a company that supports the future society."

[About Miraikasei] https://www.miraikasei.com/ Established in 1998 in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture (formerly Kuraya Kasei), Miraikasei has been a part of Mitani Sangyo Group's chemical-related business segment since November 2009, providing industrial chemicals, electronic materials, food ingredients, food additives, and more to industries such as semiconductors, information equipment, precision machinery, chemicals, and food processing.

[About Mitani Sangyo Group] https://www.mitani.co.jp/ Mitani Sangyo is a diversified trading company founded 98 years ago in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and 32 years ago in Vietnam. Based in Hokuriku, the Tokyo metropolitan area, and Vietnam, the company operates in six segments: Chemicals; Information Systems; Resins & Electronics; Air Conditioning Equipment Installation; Housing Equipment; and Energy. While operating as a trading company, it also acts as a manufacturer and consultant at times, pursuing optimal solutions for its customers and challenging itself for further evolution as a "venture company approaching its 100th anniversary." Fiscal Year Ending March 2026: Consolidated Sales: 117,531 million yen / Consolidated Employees: 3,569