Ajinomoto Stadium

Lore & Background

The stadium is the home of J1 League football clubs FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy. It was used as a training ground for Saudi Arabia's national team during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, though it did not host a World Cup match. It served as a shelter for survivors of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The stadium was the rugby venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics, where it was known as Tokyo Stadium due to the IOC's non-commercialization policy. It was also a venue for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, hosting the opening ceremony, the opening match, and seven other matches including the Bronze Final.

In Their Own Story

The rain had started twenty minutes before kickoff—a fine, cold Tokyo drizzle that turned the grass a deeper green and made the floodlights bloom into halos above the stands. Kaito, a twenty-three-year-old office worker from Shibuya, pressed his back against the concrete barrier in the 100 block, his scarf soaked through, his hands numb around a plastic cup of black coffee. Around him, four thousand strangers were already singing, the bass of the drums rattling the soles of his shoes. The Japan players jogged out in their white away kit, and the roar that hit the pitch was not a sound so much as a pressure wave, a physical shove. Kaito didn't remember deciding to sing. He was just in it, mouth open, voice cracking, the rain mixing with something else on his face. The striker touched the ball, spun, and the stadium detonated. Kaito's coffee went cold in his hand. He didn't notice. He never noticed. That was the point.

Reader's Guide

The north end of the stadium adjoins Chofu Airport, while Route 20 runs close to the south end. The main gate at the south end is directly connected by a pedestrian bridge over Route 20. Access: 5 minutes' walk from Keiō Line, 20 minutes' walk from Seibu Tamagawa Line. The stand accommodates 49,970 and is divided into two levels (upper 20,600, lower 29,370, all-seated). The ground was originally designed for athletics and football; an athletics track was installed in 2013 for the National Sports Festival of Japan. Artificial turf is laid over the track for football matches. The pitch is sunk below the level of the surrounding land to comply with height limitations near the airport.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was the first in Japan to sell naming rights, with a contract starting in 2003.
• It was used as a shelter after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
• During the 2020 Summer Olympics, it was called Tokyo Stadium due to IOC rules.
• The pitch is sunk below ground level because of height restrictions near Chofu Airport.