NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL 2026: Complete Guide for International Players
This page will be updated throughout the 2026 tournament season as we complete each step ourselves.
A practical guide for international players based on our firsthand experience registering for the NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL from Hawaii.
📅 Last Updated: August 25, 2026
Current Status
Guide Version: 1.2
🟢 We made it through the second-round entry!
The second-round entry opened on August 25 at 6:00 PM JST (August 24 at 11:00 PM HST) and was first-come, first-served.
We were ready with multiple devices at exactly 11:00 PM Hawaii time. The website became difficult to access almost immediately, but after refreshing several times, we were able to get through.
Our results:
✅ Day 1 – Doubles Festival: Yuko + Dennis
❌ Day 2 – Teams Festival: Filled before we could complete the entry
✅ Day 2 – Doubles Festival: Dennis + partner in Japan
The second-round spots disappeared extremely fast. By around 11:04 PM HST, the entries we checked were already full.
⚡ Our biggest takeaway: For second-round entry, every second counts.
📅 Next major update:
Entry confirmation, team registration, and tournament preparation
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🆕 What's New
Version 1.2 (August 25, 2026)
• Added our firsthand experience with the second-round entry.
• Successfully secured spots for Day 1 Doubles and Day 2 Doubles.
• Day 2 Teams filled before we could complete the entry.
• Added the actual second-round registration and payment process.
• Confirmed that a U.S. credit card and U.S. ZIP code worked for payment.
• Added practical tips for international players attempting first-come, first-served entry.
• Second-round spots filled extremely quickly — some entries were already full within just a few minutes.
Version 1.1 (August 13, 2026)
• Added our lottery results.
• Neither our Day 1 Doubles nor Day 2 Teams entry was selected in the first-round lottery.
• Added information about the second-round entry.
• Second-round entry begins August 25 at 6:00 PM JST and is first-come, first-served.
• We'll document the second-round entry process as we try again.
Version 1.0 (August 1, 2026)
• Published the first version of this guide.
• Added the lottery entry timeline.
• Added a step-by-step overview of the registration process.
• Added Frequently Asked Questions.
Follow Along
We'll continue updating this guide throughout the 2026 NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL registration process.
For real-time updates, screenshots, and behind-the-scenes experiences, follow eDart Shop on Facebook
Welcome to the Guide
Who is this guide for?
This guide is designed for international players who plan to travel to Japan and participate in the NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL.
It covers the registration process, lottery entry, payment, team registration, and tournament preparation based on our firsthand experience entering from Hawaii.
Whether it's your first visit to Japan or your first darts tournament overseas, we hope this guide makes the registration process easier and helps you avoid some of the confusion we experienced.
Disclaimer
This guide is based on our personal experience entering the 2026 NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL. While we do our best to keep it accurate and up to date, tournament rules, schedules, and procedures may change. Please always verify the latest information on the official NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL website.
Official Resources
- Official website: https://www.dartslive.com/matsuri/jp/tournament/index.html
- Official website (English): https://www.dartslive.com/matsuri/en/index.html
- Official Rules
- Official FAQ
- Official Contact
Quick Navigation
- Current Status
- Entry Timeline
- Before You Begin
- Step-by-Step Guide
- FAQ
- Our Journey
- Updates
Entry Timeline
| Event | Japan (JST) | Hawaii (HST) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lottery Entry Opens | July 28, 2026 | July 27, 2026 | ✅ |
| Lottery Entry Closes | August 6, 2026 (12:00 PM) | August 5, 2026 (5:00 PM) | ✅ |
| Lottery Results | August 13, 2026 | August 13, 2026* | ✅ |
| Second-Round Entry & Payment |
August 25, 2026 (6:00 PM) |
August 24, 2026 (11:00 PM) |
✅ |
| Entry / Member Change Deadline | September 10, 2026 (12:00 PM) | September 9, 2026 (5:00 PM) | ⏳ |
| Tournament | September 20–21, 2026 | September 19–20, 2026 | ⏳ |
*Our lottery result emails arrived shortly after 2:00 AM HST on August 13.
📖 Our Journey
We're documenting each step as we go — including the disappointing ones!
Our 2026 entries:
Day 1 – Doubles Festival
Yuko + Dennis
❌ Not selected in the first-round lottery
Day 2 – Teams Festival
Team: eDart Shop Hawaii
❌ Not selected in the first-round lottery
We received our lottery result emails in Hawaii shortly after 2:00 AM on August 13.
Of course, we were disappointed to find out that neither entry was selected. But fortunately, this isn't necessarily the end of the road.
Next came the second-round entry — and this time, timing really mattered. 🎯
Update: We Made It Through Second-Round Entry! 🎉
Second-round entry was intense, but we managed to secure tournament spots!
✅ Day 1 – Doubles Festival: Yuko + Dennis
❌ Day 2 – Teams Festival: Filled before we could complete the entry
✅ Day 2 – Doubles Festival: Dennis + partner in Japan
After missing out in the first-round lottery, we're very happy to have successfully completed registration and payment for the NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL 2026 — pending final confirmation in the DARTSLIVE SPORTS App.
Lottery Results
Lottery results for the first-round entry were announced on August 13, 2026 (JST).
We received separate result emails for each event we entered.
Unfortunately, neither of our entries was selected:
❌ Day 1 – Doubles Festival
❌ Day 2 – Teams Festival
The result email also included important information about a second-round entry opportunity.
What happens if you weren't selected?
According to the lottery result email we received, second-round entries will be accepted for spots that become available due to:
• Additional capacity created through venue layout adjustments
• Cancellations from first-round entries
Unlike the first-round lottery, the second round will be:
⚡ First-come, first-served
Second-Round Entry Schedule
📅 Opens: August 25, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM JST
For players in Hawaii:
📅 August 24, 2026
🕚 11:00 PM HST
We went through the second-round entry ourselves on August 25 JST. Keep reading for our firsthand experience — including how quickly spots filled, what information we needed, and how payment worked from the U.S.
⚡ Our Second-Round Entry Experience
Second-round entry turned out to be much more competitive than we expected.
The entry opened at exactly:
6:00 PM JST – August 25
11:00 PM HST – August 24
My husband and I prepared separate laptops so we could try to enter different events at the same time.
I was responsible for Day 1 Doubles, while my husband was trying to enter Day 2 Teams. We also had an iPad ready as a backup.
What happened at 11:00 PM
At exactly 11:00 PM HST, we refreshed the tournament website.
Immediately, the website became difficult to load, likely because so many players were trying to access it at the same time.
After refreshing several times, I finally got the tournament page to load.
I used the Japanese website, selected Tournament, scrolled down to DAY 1 Doubles Festival, opened the event information, and clicked the Second Entry button.
The application asked for information for both players, including:
• Name
• Email address
• DARTSLIVE Card number
After submitting the application, the payment option appeared immediately.
I entered my credit card information, including the card security code (CVV/CVC) and billing ZIP code. Our U.S. credit card and U.S. ZIP code worked without any problem.
Payment was processed immediately, and we successfully completed our Day 1 Doubles registration and payment.
Meanwhile...
My husband was trying to enter Day 2 Teams on his laptop.
Unfortunately, he encountered Japanese instructions and lost valuable time trying to figure out what they said.
By the time he was ready to continue, Teams Festival was already full.
Luckily, we had another device ready.
He quickly switched to the iPad, tried Day 2 Doubles instead, and managed to secure an entry with his partner in Japan.
How fast did it fill?
Extremely fast.
When we tried another entry at around 11:04 PM HST — only about four minutes after registration opened — it was already full.
For us, second-round entry felt less like normal tournament registration and more like trying to buy tickets for a sold-out concert!
Before You Begin
Everyone should have
✓ A DARTSLIVE Card
✓ Your 16-digit DARTSLIVE Card ID
✓ A non-iCloud email address (recommended)
✓ A valid passport (if traveling from overseas)
Depending on the event(s) you enter:
✓ A partner or team members (if required)
✓ Confirm all participants meet the event requirements.
Representative
✓ One representative should complete the application for the pair or team.
If You Are Trying for Second-Round Entry
Because second-round entry is first-come, first-served, we strongly recommend preparing everything before registration opens.
✓ Have all player names ready
✓ Have all email addresses ready
✓ Have all DARTSLIVE Card IDs ready
✓ Have your credit card ready
✓ Know your billing ZIP/postal code
✓ Decide in advance which event each person will try to enter
✓ Open the tournament page before registration begins
✓ If possible, have a backup device ready
✓ Be prepared for some registration pages or instructions to appear in Japanese
✓ Use a stable, fast internet connection if possible
⚠️ Do not assume you have a few minutes. In our experience, some of the second-round entries we checked were already full within approximately four minutes.
Step-by-Step Entry Process
We're documenting the registration process step by step based on our firsthand experience, including screenshots and practical tips.
This guide covers:
• Preparing for registration
• Entering your DARTSLIVE Card ID
• Registering for Doubles and Teams events
• Receiving confirmation emails
• Lottery results
• Second-round entry
• Paying the entry fee
• Confirming your entry in the DARTSLIVE SPORTS App
After You Submit
Immediately after completing our second-round entry, we received an entry confirmation email from DARTSLIVE EVENT.
The email included:
• Event name and tournament date
• Applicant name
• Entry ID
• Instructions for confirming the entry in the DARTSLIVE SPORTS App
• Deadline for entry changes
• Cancellation policy
• Tournament-day check-in information
We also received a separate payment receipt email at approximately the same time.
Important: Final Confirmation Happens in the DARTSLIVE SPORTS App
According to the confirmation email, receiving the application email and completing payment does not appear to be the final confirmation step.
DARTSLIVE states that the entry is considered confirmed once the entry information appears in the DARTSLIVE SPORTS App.
It may take up to four business days for the entry information to appear in the app.
💡 Our advice: Keep both your entry confirmation email and payment receipt, then check the DARTSLIVE SPORTS App over the next few business days to make sure your entry appears correctly.
Payment
For the second-round entry, payment was completed immediately after submitting the registration form.
After our entry information was submitted successfully, we were given the option to proceed directly to payment.
We paid by credit card.
The payment form requested:
• Credit card number
• Expiration date
• Security code (CVV/CVC)
• Billing postal/ZIP code
We successfully used U.S.-issued American Express and Visa credit cards with our U.S. billing ZIP codes.
For our Day 1 Doubles entry, the total payment was ¥13,000 (¥6,500 per player). A separate payment receipt arrived by email almost immediately after payment was completed.
💡 Tip for international players: Have your credit card ready before second-round entry begins. Since spots can fill within minutes, you don't want to spend time looking for your card after reaching the payment screen.
Team / Member Registration
We'll update this section if we receive any additional team or member-registration instructions that are relevant to our entries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration
Should I use the English or Japanese website?
The English version is helpful for understanding the overall process, but some forms and instructions may still appear in Japanese. We found it useful to switch between both versions when needed.
Do I need a Japanese address or phone number?
No. We successfully registered from Hawaii using our overseas contact information. We'll continue updating this guide if we discover any limitations during the registration process.
Do I need to register as soon as the lottery opens?
No. During the lottery entry period, the timing of your application does not affect your chances of being selected. As long as you submit your application before the deadline, your odds remain the same.
Can both doubles partners submit an entry?
No. Only one representative should submit the application. If duplicate applications for the same pair are submitted, the tournament organizers may remove the duplicate entry.
What if I enter the wrong DARTSLIVE Card ID?
According to the official rules, entries with an incorrect 16-digit DARTSLIVE Card ID may be excluded from the lottery. Double-check all card IDs before submitting your application.
I wasn't selected in the lottery. Is that the end?
Not necessarily.
For the 2026 tournament, organizers announced a second-round entry period for additional spots created through venue layout adjustments and cancellations from first-round entries.
The second-round entry opened on August 25 at 6:00 PM JST.
Is the second-round entry another lottery?
No. According to the result email we received, the second-round entry is first-come, first-served.
This is different from the first-round lottery, where applying earlier did not improve your chances.
For second-round entry, we recommend being ready before registration opens. In our experience, spots filled within minutes.
Do I need to apply again if I wasn't selected?
Yes. We had to submit a new application for the second-round entry after being unsuccessful in the first-round lottery.
How fast does second-round entry fill up?
In our experience, extremely fast.
Registration opened at 11:00 PM HST, and by around 11:04 PM, some of the entries we checked were already full.
We recommend being ready before the exact opening time.
Should I use more than one device?
It isn't required, but it helped us.
We used separate laptops to try for different events simultaneously and had an iPad available as a backup. When our Day 2 Teams attempt didn't work out, having another device ready helped us quickly try Day 2 Doubles instead.
Payment
Can I use a U.S. credit card?
Yes. We successfully paid using U.S.-issued American Express and Visa credit cards.
The payment form also asked for a postal/ZIP code, and our U.S. billing ZIP code worked successfully.
Team Registration
We'll update this section if additional team or member-registration requirements apply to our entries.
Tournament Day
We'll continue adding practical tips and frequently asked questions as we prepare for the tournament.
About This Guide
We aren't affiliated with DARTSLIVE or the tournament organizers. We're passionate darts players from Hawaii documenting our own experience so future international players can have a smoother registration experience.
We hope this guide makes the registration process easier for future international players. As we learn more, we'll continue updating this page throughout the tournament season.
🎯 Found this guide helpful?
Please consider sharing it with other darts players planning to attend the NIPPON DARTS FESTIVAL.
We'll continue updating this page throughout the 2026 tournament season as we complete each step ourselves.
⭐ Bookmark this page and check back for future updates.