"Ending with four years of university"...'Ping-pong Angel' Kikuchi Hina Retires, Joins Agency MU
'Ping-pong Angel' Kikuchi Hina (22) ended her 10-year athletic career through SNS on October 3rd. It was as planned when she entered university, and she also announced joining new agency MU on the same day.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-line summary
- Kikuchi Hina announced on October 3, 2026 through SNS that she was ending her 10-year ping-pong career.
- She revealed that it was a plan she set from when she entered university that she would leave the competitive stage after finishing four years of university.
- On the same day she announced joining MU Corporation. Since March 2024 she had been balancing athletic career with entertainment activities.
On October 3, 2026, Kikuchi Hina shared two pieces of news through SNS. That she was ending her ping-pong career and that she had joined entertainment agency MU Corporation. Kikuchi, born in February 2004, is 22 years old this year. After first picking up a racket in middle school, 10 years of athletic career she ended, she revealed.
Kikuchi Hina's Retirement Reason, 4 Years Decided at University Entrance
Daily Sports according to, Kikuchi wrote in her October 3rd statement "I have ended my athletic career with the completion of four years of university and made a closing point as an athlete." It was not a sudden decision. She explained that from when she entered university, she had decided to retire from the competitive stage after finishing four years.
Kikuchi is from Saitama Prefecture and entered Goshogawara Commercial High School in Aomori Prefecture as a ping-pong specialist student. She then competed in the Kanto Student League Division 2 at Tokyo Women's Physical Education University's ping-pong club. Sponichi reported that Kikuchi graduated in March 2026. The date of her last match was not confirmed.
There is a match that remains in the official record. Japan Ping-Pong Association match page shows that in the 2024 All Japan Championship mixed doubles second round where she paired with Suzuki Ibuki, against the Fukuzawa Yuta and Harada Anna pair 0-3 she lost. The set scores were 9-11, 10-12, 5-11. The first two sets were decided by 2 points. Some unofficial profiles list it as first-round elimination, but the association record shows second round.
Kikuchi Hina's 10 Years, Path by Date
| Period | Content |
|---|---|
| Middle school | Started ping-pong |
| High school | Goshogawara Commercial High School ping-pong specialist student |
| January 2024 | All Japan Championship mixed doubles second round 0-3 loss |
| March 2024 | Joined entertainment agency seju, balancing athlete and entertainment activities |
| March 2026 | Tokyo Women's Physical Education University graduation |
| October 3, 2026 | Ended athletic career·Announced MU Corporation affiliation |
Kikuchi Hina's Agency MU, From 'Ping-pong Angel' to Actress
The nickname 'Ping-pong Angel' was given when photos taken during competitions became a topic on SNS. This announcement is not her first foray into entertainment. According to Sponichi and Nikkan Sports reports, Kikuchi joined entertainment agency seju in March 2024 and has been balancing athletic career with entertainment activities.
What's notable in this announcement is not her debut but the fact that she concluded her athletic career. Kikuchi has been balancing athlete and entertainment activities since joining seju in March 2024 and revealed she ended her athletic career after completing four years of university. On the same day Kikuchi revealed that "This time I have joined MU Corporation," ENCOUNT reported.
The agency name was written differently by different media outlets. Daily Sports wrote it as 'MIU', but ENCOUNT and Sports Hochi, which cited her statement, wrote 'MU'. The company's official website also shows the name as MU Corporation (confirmed 2026.10.09). Since the official website news page differs between search results and actual viewing, the joining date was confirmed through same-day reports and her own statements.
Daily Sports reported that Kikuchi will focus on acting, but her next project, role, and release schedule had not been announced as of October 9. In a statement published in Daily Sports, she said she wants to continue ping-pong activities joyfully going forward. The 10 years refers to the period of athletic career she stated and does not mean a professional career.
Related Official Sites
- MU Corporation Official Website — Kikuchi Hina's new agency announcement and affiliated actor information
- Japan Ping-Pong Association Official Match Records — 2024 All Japan Championship mixed doubles results by set
- Japan Ping-Pong Association Official Domestic Ranking Data — Check Japan's official domestic rankings
Representative image · archive photo · not a photo of the current match in this article · photo=Wikimedia Commons(Nyao148), CC BY-SA 3.0
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