Japan to open at least four new arenas in 2025

At least four new arenas will open in Japan next year amid a wider venue boom in the country.

The IG Arena in Nagoya (17,000), The Tokyo A-Arena (10,000), the Kobe Arena (10,000), and the Kagawa Prefectural Arena (cap. 10,000) are set to open their doors for the public in 2025.

IG Arena will open in Nagoya in summer 2025, replacing the current Aichi Arena inside Nagoya Castle, which was completed in 1964 and is now ageing. The venue’s ‘hybrid oval’ bowl will enable both oval and horseshoe bowl configurations. It is expected to be the main indoor venue for the 2026 Asian Games and will be operated by the Aichi Smart Arena Group, a consortium led by Maeda Corporation and the mobile communication giant NTT Docomo. Others in the consortium include AEG and finance firms.

It was today announced that Niterra, a Japanese manufacturer of ignition parts and vehicle electronics, has become the first ‘founding partner’ for the arena. This agreement will give Niterra the exclusive naming rights to one of the main visitor entrance gates, other branding opportunities such as permanent and digital signage within the arena, and the ability to feature its products inside the venue.

Also set to arrive next year is The Tokyo A-Arena, a 10,000-capacity space being built for the Alvark Tokyo team in the Odaiba area of the capital on the site of the Mega Web theme park. Architects are planning a highly accessible venue with facilities for disabled people at the heart of the design, plus a high-speed Wi-Fi and 5G signal. With a VIP lounge, an enormous centre screen, Sky Lounge with views over the sea, and more.

The Kobe Arena is a waterside venue expected to be capable of hosting 10,000 people. The aim of the arena’s exterior design is to depict “excitement” and “spreading its wings to the world,” according to the arena website. It will be the home of the Nishinomiya Stokes and plans to host concerts, sporting events, e-sports, and exhibitions. As well as the arena and a new hotel, the venue plans to develop an open space around the arena.

As B1 teams must attract an average attendance of 4,000 per game, several new venues will be built in time for 2027

The Kagawa Prefectural Arena (cap. 10,000) is expected to open in February 2025. Designed by SANAA, it will be the largest arena in the Chugoku and Shikoku region, and will also include a 1,000-capacity space.

These are just a handful of the new venues that will open in the next few years due to a rule change in the country’s men’s basketball leagues. As B1 teams must attract an average attendance of 4,000 per game, several new venues will be built in time for 2027.

The first was Yokohama’s K-Arena in 2023, where Sam Smith became the first overseas act to play at the 20,333-capacity venue, with Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, TLC, and Janet Jackson succeeding the multi-genre English singer-songwriter over the following months.

This year saw the opening of the Nagasaki Stadium City, comprising a 20,000-seat stadium and a 6,000-capacity arena and offers visitors the opportunity to zip-line across the venue. It will mainly be used by the J2 V-Varen Nagasaki soccer team, who have been named the home team.

Another arena that made its debut this year is the LaLa Arena in Tokyo Bay, the new home for the Chiba Jets Funabashi basketball team. Japanese acts such as boyband Mr. Children, dance troupe The Rampage from Exile Tribe, and singer-songwriter Aimyon were the first musicians to take the stage at the newly built 10,000-capacity venue.

In autumn 2027, AEG is scheduled to open the Osaka Arena in partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation Urban Development and Kanden Realty & Development.

Located within the city’s Expo Memorial Park, the new venue will have a maximum capacity of 18,000 – which will make it the country’s second-biggest indoor arena after the Saitama – and will be part of a complex that includes a hotel and several retail blocks.

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