Live poker tournaments in Japan: the Japan Open Poker Tour calendar
Japan has a live tournament circuit, and it runs on a model that exists almost nowhere else. The Japan Open Poker Tour is the largest of them, moving between Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka across the season.
Upcoming
| Dates | Event | Venue | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct – 3 Nov 2026 | JOPT 2026 Osaka #02 · Japan Open Poker Tour | Dojima River Forum | — | — |
| 24 Dec – 3 Jan 2027 | JOPT 2027 Tokyo #01 · Japan Open Poker Tour | Bellesalle Takadanobaba | — | — |
| 28 – 31 Jan 2027 | JOPT 2027 Sapporo #01 · Japan Open Poker Tour | Sapporo Factory Hall | — | — |
| 18 – 22 Mar 2027 | JOPT 2027 Osaka #01 · Japan Open Poker Tour | Osaka | — | — |
| 27 – 30 May 2027 | JOPT 2027 Fukuoka #01 · Japan Open Poker Tour | UNITEDLAB, Daimyo | — | — |
The JOPT stops on our calendar
JOPT 2026 Osaka #02, 29 October to 3 November 2026. JOPT 2027 Tokyo #01, 24 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, which runs across the new year. JOPT 2027 Sapporo #01, 28 to 31 January 2027. JOPT 2027 Osaka #01, 18 to 22 March 2027. JOPT 2027 Fukuoka #01, 27 to 30 May 2027.
The naming is worth decoding, because it confuses people reading the calendar for the first time: the year in the event name is the tour season, not necessarily the calendar year the event starts in. The Tokyo stop labelled 2027 begins on Christmas Eve 2026.
Why Japanese tournaments are structured differently
Japan does not permit commercial gambling in the way most poker markets do, and the live scene developed around that rather than in spite of it. Poker in Japan is played in amusement clubs, where the game is run without the cash-prize structure that defines a tournament elsewhere. Prizes, where they exist, take other forms — seats, packages, merchandise.
The practical consequence for anyone reading a Japanese schedule is that a buy-in figure and a prize pool do not mean what they would on a European or American festival page, and many Japanese events publish neither. Our Japanese market page covers the legal position in more detail. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where the domestic scene sits
The club network behind the tour is large — considerably larger than the tour calendar suggests, since most clubs run their own regular games rather than tour stops. Japan also produces players who travel: the recorded results of the strongest Japanese players come overwhelmingly from events abroad, which is what you would expect of a country where domestic poker cannot be played for cash prizes.
Checking before you travel
Japanese tour schedules are revised and venues are sometimes announced late. Confirm dates, venue and entry conditions with the organiser before booking anything. Where a date on these pages was read from the tour's own schedule, the date it was checked is recorded with the record.
Frequently asked questions
Is live poker legal in Japan?
Japan does not permit commercial gambling in the usual sense, and the domestic live scene is built around amusement clubs that run poker without cash prizes. Our Japanese market page sets out the position; this is general information, not legal advice.
What is the Japan Open Poker Tour?
The largest Japanese live tournament series, moving between Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka across a season. Five stops appear on our calendar between October 2026 and May 2027.
Why does the JOPT Tokyo 2027 event start in December 2026?
Because the year in a JOPT event name is the tour season rather than the start date. The Tokyo stop labelled 2027 runs from 24 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Why do Japanese tournaments not list prize pools?
Because the amusement-club model they run under does not award cash prizes, so the buy-in and prize-pool figures that define a festival elsewhere often do not apply and are frequently not published.