FEATURE: IG Arena opens with promise to make Nagoya a must-visit city
Designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the oval-shaped hybrid indoor arena opened in the Aichi Prefecture capital on July 13. It hosted the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament as its inaugural event.
With a maximum capacity of 17,000 people, it is among the largest indoor venues in Japan. Local businesses hope the arena can combat the "bypass Nagoya" phenomenon in which popular touring events skip the city and the broader Chukyo area in central Japan.
At the May 31 ceremony commemorating the arena's completion, Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura stressed that the new venue "will bolster the future" of the prefecture.
The main arena has an area of 4,600 square meters and 15,000 seats. The bowl design gives spectators an immersive viewing experience, and it also features a giant eight-sided, center-hanging jumbo screen, visible from every seat in the venue.
With a ceiling of roughly 30 meters, one of the highest in the world, the arena can host concerts that feature enormous stage installations.
NTT Docomo Inc. is a major shareholder in Aichi International Arena Co., which manages IG Arena. The telecommunications company provides the new facility with technologies such as the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network that will enable performances to be broadcast to people watching in remote locations.
Major events have already been scheduled at the arena, including a performance by British musician Sting in September and figure skating's Grand Prix Final in December.
Construction of more arena projects under the "Sports Open Innovation" initiative of the Japan Sports Agency and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is ongoing. The authorities aim to promote economic growth via sport.
As of January, the agency reported that 45 construction and renovation projects were under way. Major information technology company DeNA Co. and railway operator Keikyu Corp. are building an entertainment complex featuring a 15,000-seat arena in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. The complex is set to open in 2030.
The B-League, Japan's top professional basketball league, has set requirements for teams to join its new "Premiere" top division, to be launched in 2026. The league mandates that teams must have a home arena with a seating capacity of at least 5,000, driving the current boom in construction.
In this competitive environment, facilities must differentiate themselves to thrive. IG Arena should not serve as a "mere venue," but rather have a unique selling point: "If it's this event, IG Arena is the place to hold it," said Eiji Ito, a professor at Chukyo University's School of Health and Sport Sciences.
Nagoya already has the Vantelin Dome Nagoya, which has a maximum capacity of 50,000 and is primarily used as the Chunichi Dragons baseball team's home stadium. Opened in 1997 as Nagoya Dome, it has also hosted large music concerts.
The absence of a 10,000 to 20,000-seat multipurpose arena has led event organizers to avoid Nagoya in the past.
Anschutz Entertainment Group, an American multinational entertainment company in a naming rights partnership with Aichi International Arena, is expected to facilitate the hosting of international sports events and performances by overseas artists at IG Arena.
"We will host events unique to Nagoya and draw people into the city," said Hisato Hiroshi, president and chief executive of Aichi International Arena.
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