![Seigo Asada (Lawrence Lustig/PDC)](/sites/default/files/styles/news_hero_tablet/public/2024-07/Seigo%20Asada%202024.jpg?h=9b8d3e5c&itok=eUrTVFZn)
Seigo Asada secured his third title on the 2024 Japan Tour last weekend, as Ryuta Arihara, Tomoya Goto and Kenichi Ajiki also celebrated landmark wins in Kobe.
The newly introduced Japan Tour - which will see a place in the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship on offer - will feature ten events and a Play-Off featuring the top 32 players at the end of the season.
Asada won back-to-back titles on the opening weekend of action in April, and the former World Cup of Darts semi-finalist maintained top spot on the Japan Tour Order of Merit after extending his title haul on Sunday.
Over 100 players starred in Events 5-8 on July 13-14, with Asada whitewashing Arihara in the Event Eight showpiece to continue his resurgence.
The three-time World Championship qualifier registered a scintillating 105.46 average in his quarter-final demolition of Mitsuhiko Tatsunami, having edged out Motoki Yuhi in a last-leg decider earlier in the campaign.
Tatsunami produced the performance of the weekend however, wrapping up a whitewash win against Takumi Hirono in Event Five with a 111.33 average; reeling off four straight legs in 12, 12, 15 and 15 darts.
Nevertheless, the weekend's opening event was won by Arihara, who conceded just six legs in as many matches to break new ground on home soil.
The 35-year-old fired in a 101 average to complete a four-leg blitz of Goto in round two, and after recovering from 3-2 down to sink Sho Okano in the semi-finals, he swept aside Masumi Chino to claim the Event Five spoils.
Goto - a World Championship debutant in 2023/24 - bounced back to claim the Event Six title, easing past Yuta Hayashi in Saturday's showpiece.
The two-time Asian Tour title winner kicked off his bid with a trio of whitewash wins, before overturning a 3-1 deficit to dump out Asada in the last 16.
The 28-year-old then fended off a terrific fightback from Joji Kanuma to win through a dramatic semi-final tussle, which he backed up with a resounding 4-1 success against Hayashi.
Ajiki was the weekend's other winner, closing out deciding-leg victories against Arihara and Okano in the semi-finals and final respectively.
The 51-year-old had stormed through to the last 16 without relinquishing a single leg, before disposing of Taiyo Nishimata and Tsukasa Moritani on his way to glory.
The 2024 Japan Tour will continue with Events 9-10 in Shizuoka on September 7, which will be followed by the top 32 on the Order of Merit playing off for World Championship qualification on September 8.
2024 Japan Tour
Saturday July 13, Kobe
Event Five
Semi-Finals
Masumi Chino 4-1 Keita Shimizu
Ryuta Arihara 4-3 Sho Okano
Final
Ryuta Arihara 4-1 Masumi Chino
Event Six
Semi-Finals
Tomoya Goto 4-3 Joji Kanuma
Yuta Hayashi 4-3 Dai Chihara
Final
Tomoya Goto 4-1 Yuta Hayashi
Sunday July 14
Event Seven
Semi-Finals
Sho Okano 4-1 Keita Shimizu
Kenichi Ajiki 4-3 Ryuta Arihara
Final
Kenichi Ajiki 4-3 Sho Okano
Event Eight
Semi-Finals
Ryuta Arihara 4-1 Yuya Higuchi
Seigo Asada 4-2 Tsukasa Moritani
Final
Seigo Asada 4-0 Ryuta Arihara