Yoyogi National Gymnasium facts for kids
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Yoyogi
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| Location | 2-1, Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan |
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| Coordinates | 35°40′3.0″N 139°42′1.1″E / 35.667500°N 139.700306°E |
| Public transit | Tokyo Metro (at Meiji-jingumae): C Chiyoda Line F Fukutoshin Line JR East: JY Yamanote Line at Harajuku |
| Owner | Japan Sport Council |
| Capacity | 1st Gymnasium:
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| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 1963 |
| Opened | October 1964 |
| Architect | Kenzo Tange |
The Yoyogi National Gymnasium is a famous indoor sports arena in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It is officially called the Yoyogi National Stadium. This building is well-known for its unique roof design, which looks like it's hanging from cables.
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The main arena can hold over 13,000 people. It is used for many different sports today. You can watch ice hockey, futsal, basketball, and volleyball games here.
The NHK television studios are right next to the arena. Because of this, you often see pictures of the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on NHK Newsline broadcasts.
Contents
History of the Yoyogi Gymnasium
The Yoyogi National Gymnasium was designed by a famous architect named Kenzō Tange. He started working on the design in 1961. The building was finished in 1964, just in time for the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.
During those Olympics, the main gymnasium hosted the swimming events. The smaller building next to it was used for basketball games. Years later, it was also the place for the handball competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The special design of this building even inspired other architects, like for the Olympic Stadium in Munich.
Exciting Events at Yoyogi
The Yoyogi National Gymnasium has been a popular spot for many big events. It has hosted major sports competitions and concerts by famous music artists.
Sports Championships
- The arena hosted the World Figure Skating Championships in 1977 and 1985.
- It was the venue for the official 1971 Asian Basketball Championship for men.
- The 1982 Asian Basketball Championship for Women also took place here.
- The finals of the 2006 Women's Volleyball World Championship were held at Yoyogi.
- The finals of the 2010 Women's Volleyball World Championship also took place here.
- In October 1997, the first regular-season National Hockey League (NHL) games played outside of North America happened here. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim played against the Vancouver Canucks. The NHL returned in 1998 and 2000 with different teams.
- Since 2007, the Cheerleading Asia International Open Championships (CAIOC) have been held here.
Music Concerts and Shows
Many popular music groups and artists have performed at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
- In 1985, the famous band Queen performed a concert that was recorded.
- Westlife performed here in 2001 as part of their "Where Dreams Come True Tour."
- SM Entertainment brought their "SMTown Live '10 World Tour" to the venue in 2011.
- The popular K-pop group Girls' Generation performed several concerts here in 2011 and 2014.
- Japanese idol groups like AKB48, Nogizaka46, Keyakizaka46, and Sakurazaka46 have held many concerts and special events at the gymnasium.
- In 2017, Britney Spears performed two sold-out concerts during her "Britney: Live in Concert" world tour.
- K-pop groups like Stray Kids, NiziU, Twice, Onew, aespa, Kep1er, and Le Sserafim have all held concerts or fan meetings at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in recent years.
- BE:FIRST also held their arena tours here in 2022 and 2023.
- The Miss International 2023 Grand Final was held here in October 2023.
See also
- List of indoor arenas in Japan
