Weekly Gear Watch #243: Japan Table Tennis Exhibition 2026
Japan Table Tennis Exhibition 2026
On March 10 and 11, manufacturers gathered in Shinjuku, Tokyo for the annual table tennis trade show. Let’s focus on the new blades and rubbers. (Most photos in this piece are sourced from world-tt.)
Butterfly
This spring, Butterfly released just one new blade — and it’s a real head-scratcher.
On March 1, 2026, Butterfly officially launched a penhold version of the Innerforce Layer ALC. In other words, this blade previously existed only in shakehand; now it comes in penhold as well.
Honestly, I played a penhold version of this blade back in 2016 under a P-series code. Butterfly making it official now feels like something out of a parallel universe. Anyway, the racket case it comes with looks pretty sharp.
Nittaku
First up is the BLASTAC, a new rubber with a carbon-black sponge aimed at intermediate players.
Also on display were the Japanese-style single-wood penhold blades: A1X, A2X, and A3X — the Kiso Hinoki line. Nittaku doesn’t push these much in the Chinese market, so treat them as a curiosity. Products like the Nittaku G-1 and Hayata Hina H2 that actually sell well in China have plenty of domestic alternatives anyway.
Victas
The XEGNA and XEGNA SPIN are Chinese-made, lightly tacky rubbers emphasizing ease of use and power. I tried them earlier this year and thought they were solid. They hit shelves on March 21.
On the blade side, four versions of the Koki Niwa 10th Anniversary limited-edition blade are releasing in April.
There’s also the MAGNASS, an inner carbon blade coming in June, plus the all-hinoki DYNAM Spirit 10.5 dropping next month.
Yasaka
Since Ma Lin moved to Tibhar, the Ma Lin blade series has been rebranded as the MYTH series.
And a 50-degree extra-hard Rakza 7 Hard has appeared.
Xiom
The headline new blade is the INDEED, available in both inner and outer carbon configurations. The fiber is similar to ZLC.
Stiga
The standout new rubber is clearly the HELIX Platinum, featuring improved friction and spin performance — used by Truls Moregard.
On the blade side, the long-awaited Destiny Carbon and the LUMA hybrid carbon (available as early as May or June) were on display.
Tibhar
First up is the Miyuu Kihara signature blade with inner green fiber carbon.
And coming in late May or early June is a new Darko blade — a two-sided setup with one outer carbon side, one inner carbon side, and an Ayous core.
Nittaku (Kishido)
In addition to the existing NUZN 55 (the most widely used among Kishido-sponsored pros) and NUZN 50, two softer versions have been added: NUZN 48 and NUZN 45. These softer variants are designed for the backhand.
New blades include the PROSPIRE CO OFF and PROSPIRE CI OFF. As the names suggest, the CO uses outer carbon and the CI uses inner carbon.
Donic
At the Singapore Grand Slam, 17-year-old Coton defeated Zhou Qihao and Duda. Before that tournament he was using the Naeri Wan blade. Now Donic has released the Coton signature blade.
The rest of their lineup at the show consisted of beginner boards and value-oriented options.
Joola
Beyond the two articles I’ve written about Hugo Calderano previously, the main new products are shown below. The ARY-X and ARY-C blades are currently used by Hugo, along with two new rubbers: Trinity Dynamic and Trinity Charged.
As for Chinese brand new releases, we’ll have to wait for the Xiamen Sports Expo in May.