The Japan Championships takes place in Osaka, Japan, at the Utsubo Tennis Center, and it's a WTA 250 hard-court tournament. Sometimes, the event is called the Kinoshita Group Japan Open for sponsorship purposes.
Originally, the competition was a combined men’s and women’s until 2008. Since 2009, the Japan Championships has been a women-only tournament, while a separate ATP event takes place in Tokyo. Between 2009 and 2014, the championship took place in Osaka before moving to Tokyo.
In 2018, the venue changed again as the tournament was held in Hiroshima for two seasons. However, the event returned to Osaka in 2023 for the first time in nine years. Each season, the Japan Championships take place in the early autumn, sometimes just after the final Grand Slam of the year - the US Open.
Several elite-level players have competed in and won the competition in recent years. Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli was one of the first-ever Japan Championship winners, lifting the title in 2011. One WTA player has dominated the Japan Championships since 2009.
Samantha Stosur won the tournament a record three times. After winning the inaugural championships, the Australian former player went on to lift two more titles in 2013 and 2014. Alongside the singles draw, a doubles tournament takes place at the Japan Championships.
Every season, 16 doubles teams participate in the event. Since the competition’s formation, Japanese doubles player Shuko Aoyama has won a record three titles. Each time, she won the competition with a different partner - Renata Voracova, Makoto Ninomiya, and Yang Zhaoxuan.
