Cities in Kyushu run citizens’ sports festivals with low entry fees. This guide puts the autumn 2026 events in Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City and Kumamoto City on one page, sorted by entry deadline. Most are for people who live, work or study in that city, and every entry form is in Japanese.
In short
- Next deadline: the Fukuoka City bowling tournament (October 18) closes on Friday, October 9, 2026. Places go first come.
- Two deadlines fall on Tuesday, October 20: Kitakyushu outdoor archery (must arrive) and the Kumamoto City tennis team event (by 21:00).
- Entries for the Kitakyushu bowling tournament closed on Monday, October 5.
- Kumamoto’s urban sports day and athletics festival have no fixed deadline. They close when they are full.
- Fukuoka City’s volleyball and soft volleyball tournaments (December 13) close on December 7 and December 2.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
1. Which events can I still enter?
Depends on the organizer
The table lists the events by entry deadline. Fees are the organizers’ figures; “per team” and “per person” follow the rules sheets.
| Event | Date | Deadline | How to apply | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitakyushu bowling | Sun, Oct 11 | Oct 5 (entries closed) | Fax or email | ¥11,700 per team of 3 |
| Fukuoka City bowling | Sun, Oct 18 | Fri, Oct 9 (first come) | Through the city bowling association | ¥3,600 (adult) |
| Kitakyushu archery | Sun, Oct 25 | Tue, Oct 20 (must arrive) | Online form | ¥2,000 (adult) |
| Kumamoto City tennis | Tue, Nov 3 | Tue, Oct 20, 21:00 | Form by hand, post, fax or email | ¥3,000 per team |
| Kumamoto urban sports | Sun, Nov 1 | Until full | Form by hand, post, fax or email | ¥500 |
| Kumamoto athletics | Sat, Nov 28 | Until full | Form by hand, post, fax or email | ¥500 |
| Fukuoka soft volleyball | Sun, Dec 13 | Wed, Dec 2 | Form by post, fax or email | ¥2,500 per team |
| Fukuoka volleyball (9-a-side) | Sun, Dec 13 | Mon, Dec 7 | Form by post, fax or email | ¥5,000 per team |
All the rules sheets and forms are in Japanese. None of them says whether the organizers can help in English. For help with Japanese, see Help in your language in Fukuoka City or Where to get help in your language (Kumamoto).
2. Kitakyushu bowling (entries closed)
Kitakyushu City
The 64th Kitakyushu Citizens’ Sports Festival bowling tournament (北九州市民スポーツ大会 ボウリング大会) is on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at Corona Cat Bowl Kokura (コロナキャットボウル小倉店). It is for teams of three, and men and women can mix. The entry deadline was Monday, October 5, 2026, so entries are closed.
It was open to people who live or work in Kitakyushu City, or who have their base of activity there. The fee was ¥11,700 per team. The rules also say that players in this tournament cannot play in the Fukuoka City citizens’ tournament the next week (October 18). The rules sheet (Japanese, PDF) has the details.
3. Fukuoka City bowling (deadline October 9)
Fukuoka City
The Citizens’ Bowling Tournament (市民ボウリング大会) is one event of the 40th Fukuoka City Citizens’ General Sports Festival (市民総合スポーツ大会). It is on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Papio Bowl in Hakata Ward. Teams are two people, and men and women can mix freely. Each player bowls 6 games, and the top players of each shift bowl a 3-game final from zero.
The rules say it is, in principle, for people who live, work or go to school in Fukuoka City or the area around it. There are 48 team places (96 people), first come, first served. The fee is ¥3,600 for adults, ¥3,100 for university students and ¥2,400 for high school students and younger. Players in the final pay another ¥1,200. There is an age and gender handicap; the rules sheet has the table.
Players meet at 9:00 for the first shift and 10:30 for the second. The rules sheet on the Fukuoka City Sports Association site is marked as a draft (案), so check the details when you enter.
- Read the rules sheet. Citizens’ Bowling Tournament rules (Japanese, PDF).
- Contact the Fukuoka City Bowling Association (福岡市ボウリング協会) by October 9. The rules sheet gives a phone and fax number but does not describe an entry form, so call to ask how to send your entry.
Fukuoka City Bowling Association (inside the Fukuoka Prefecture Bowling Federation): TS Building 302, 2-5-17 Minoshima, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City. Phone 092-433-6165, fax 092-433-6166.
Papio Bowl (パピオボウル): 1-15-30 Chiyo, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City. Google Maps. Phone 092-633-2500.
4. Kitakyushu outdoor archery (deadline October 20)
Kitakyushu City
The outdoor archery tournament of the Kitakyushu Citizens’ Sports Festival is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, and is certified by the All Japan Archery Federation. It has recurve, compound and barebow divisions, plus shorter distances for beginners and elementary and junior high school students. Each session takes 40 people.
It is for members of the Kitakyushu Archery Association, archers who live in Kitakyushu, and archers registered with the All Japan Archery Federation who work in the city. You must have 2026 Sports Safety Insurance (スポーツ安全保険). Archers from outside the city can enter as open entrants, but association members are accepted first and only they can win awards.
The fee is ¥2,000 for adults and ¥1,000 for high school students and younger, paid on the day. If you cancel after entering, the fee is charged in principle. Enter with the association’s online form (Japanese); entries must arrive by Tuesday, October 20. The contact details for questions are in the rules sheet (Japanese, PDF).
Shiroyama Ryokuchi Park archery range (城山緑地公園アーチェリー場): 2-4 Yashiki, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu City. Google Maps.
5. Kumamoto City tennis team event (deadline October 20)
Kumamoto City
The Kumamoto City Sports Festa (熊本市民スポーツフェスタ) is run by an organizing committee of Kumamoto City. The autumn tennis team event is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (a holiday), with a backup date of Sunday, November 8. You can enter if you are registered as a resident of Kumamoto City, commute to work in the city, or belong to a Kumamoto City comprehensive community sports club.
Teams play three doubles matches. The second pair should be two women; if a team cannot make a women’s pair, a man aged 60 or over (as of April 1, 2026) may play with a woman. Each team registers up to 10 people (6 players and 4 reserves), and about 16 teams can take part. Students and schoolchildren cannot take part, and neither can people who played in certain national events in the past three years or the prefectural sports festival in the past two years.
The fee is ¥3,000 per team, paid in cash on the day, and is not refunded unless the event is cancelled. Entries are open until Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 21:00. The tennis rules (Japanese, PDF) have the details. To apply, see How do I apply in Kumamoto? below.
Ueki Chuo Park Sports Facilities tennis courts (植木中央公園運動施設): 285-35 Iwano, Ueki-machi, Kita-ku, Kumamoto City. Check-in opens at 8:30 and play starts at 9:00. Google Maps.
6. Kumamoto urban and rare sports (until full)
Kumamoto City
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, you can try parkour tag, street soccer, pickleball, kendama and Mini 4WD cars at Hamasen Health Park (田迎公園運動施設, 浜線健康パーク). There is a morning session (10:00 to 12:00) and an afternoon session (13:30 to 15:30), about 40 people each, and you can join only one. Children from elementary school age can take part with a parent or guardian.
The fee is ¥500, in cash on the day. Bring indoor shoes. Entries opened on September 8 and close when the sessions are full, so call the office to check before you send a form. The festival’s general rule for who can enter is the same as for tennis, but it also includes people who go to school in Kumamoto City.
7. Kumamoto athletics festival (until full)
Kumamoto City
The athletics festival (陸上フェスタ) is on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at Suizenji Stadium (水前寺競技場), with a backup date of November 29. It has a stamp-rally “trial” of sprints, jumps and throws (150 people), a 1,000 m run (about 50 people), a 400 m team relay (about 20 teams) and a running class for children aged 4 to 6 with a parent (about 15 pairs).
The fee is ¥500 a person, in cash on the day. Places go first come and entries close when each event is full. The rules say the run and the relay may take entries on the day if places are left. The decision to hold or postpone the event is posted on the foundation’s page at about 15:00 the day before.
8. How do I apply in Kumamoto?
Kumamoto City Sports Festa
- Download the rules and the form for your event. They are on the Sports Festa page of the Kumamoto City Culture and Sports Foundation (Japanese).
- Fill in the form in Japanese. If your address is outside the city, tick the box for working or studying in Kumamoto City, or for a community sports club.
- Hand it in, post it, fax it, or email it to sportsfesta@kc-sks.jp. A posted form must arrive by the deadline. If you fax it, call the office afterwards to confirm it arrived.
Important
Entry fees are not refunded, except when an event is cancelled because of weather or other reasons. Anyone who does not meet the entry rules is disqualified.
Sports Festa organizing committee office, Nurse Power Arena (Kumamoto City General Gymnasium, ナースパワーアリーナ): 2-7-1 Izumi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City. Phone 096-385-1010. Google Maps.
9. Fukuoka City soft volleyball (deadline December 2)
Fukuoka City
The soft volleyball tournament (ソフトバレーボール大会) of the Fukuoka City Citizens’ General Sports Festival is on Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 9:00. It also serves as a qualifier for a prefectural event. Teams have up to 9 people: a manager and 8 players, with 4 on court. Students cannot play.
- Ladies: Free (women 18+), Middle (40+), Senior (50+) and Challenge (60+).
- Trim (2 men and 2 women): Free (18+), Bronze (30+), Senior (50+) and Platinum (65+).
Older players may play in a younger category. Some categories send their top teams to the prefectural tournament, and teams that are chosen must play in it (¥5,000 per team). The fee for this tournament is ¥2,500 per team, paid at check-in on the day.
Apply with the official form in the rules sheet (Japanese, PDF) to the Fukuoka City Soft Volleyball Federation (福岡市ソフトバレーボール連盟), by post, fax or email. The postal address, fax number and email are on the sheet. If you fax, call to confirm it arrived. Late entries are not accepted.
Note
The rules sheet and the Fukuoka City Sports Association’s event list give the venue as the Fukuoka City Citizens’ Gymnasium, but the entry form on the same sheet names Teriha Sekisui House Arena. The rules count ages as of April 1, 2027, but the form says April 1, 2026. Ask the federation before you enter.
Fukuoka City Citizens’ Gymnasium (福岡市民体育館): 8-2 Higashi Koen, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City. Google Maps. Phone 092-641-9135.
10. Fukuoka City nine-a-side volleyball (deadline December 7)
Fukuoka City
The general volleyball tournament (一般バレーボール大会) is on Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 9:00. It is for nine-a-side teams, mainly working adults; players must be of high school age or older. There are men’s and women’s sections, and mixed teams: six men with three women (size 5 ball), or women with one to three men (size 4 ball).
The fee is ¥5,000 per team, paid by bank transfer as a rule. Players must have sports injury insurance. Each team brings a whistle and a timer, and teams referee each other. If too many teams apply, places go first come. Entries close on Monday, December 7, 2026.
Apply with the form in the rules sheet (Japanese, PDF) to the Fukuoka City Volleyball Association (福岡市バレーボール協会). The sheet gives the postal address, phone and fax number, email and transfer account. If you fax, call to confirm.
The venue is the main arena of the Fukuoka City General Gymnasium (Teriha Sekisui House Arena, 照葉積水ハウスアリーナ): 6-1-1 Kashii Teriha, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City. Google Maps.
Common questions
Can I enter if I live outside the city?
It depends on the event. Kumamoto’s events accept people who work in the city (and, except tennis, people who study there). Fukuoka City’s bowling tournament accepts people from the area around the city in principle. Kitakyushu’s archery tournament takes archers from outside the city as open entrants, without awards.
Can I play in both bowling tournaments?
No. The Kitakyushu rules say its players cannot play in the Fukuoka City tournament the following week.
Do I get my fee back if I cannot come?
Kumamoto’s Sports Festa does not refund fees unless the event is cancelled. Kitakyushu’s archery tournament charges the fee in principle if you cancel after entering.
Next steps
- See every event of the Fukuoka City festival (Japanese) and the Kitakyushu festival (Japanese).
- Get help with a Japanese form: Help in your language in Fukuoka City.
- Find a regular place to play: Tennis, squash and HYROX in Fukuoka.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Kitakyushu City: 64th Citizens’ Sports Festival (Japanese)
- Kitakyushu bowling tournament rules, PDF (Japanese)
- Kitakyushu outdoor archery tournament rules, PDF (Japanese)
- Fukuoka City Sports Association: citizens’ sports festival events (Japanese)
- Fukuoka City bowling tournament rules, PDF (Japanese)
- Fukuoka City soft volleyball rules and form, PDF (Japanese)
- Fukuoka City volleyball rules and form, PDF (Japanese)
- Kumamoto City Culture and Sports Foundation: Sports Festa 2026 (Japanese)
- Kumamoto autumn Sports Festa rules, all events, PDF (Japanese)
- Kumamoto autumn Sports Festa tennis rules, PDF (Japanese)
