Okinawa Arena

Last updated
Okinawa Arena
Chong Nawa arina.jpg
Okinawa geolocalisation relief.svg
Red pog.svg
Okinawa Arena
Location within Okinawa Prefecture
Japan natural location map with side map of the Ryukyu Islands.jpg
Red pog.svg
Okinawa Arena
Okinawa Arena (Japan)
Full nameOkinawa City Multi-Purpose Arena
Location Okinawa, Japan
Coordinates 26°19′58″N127°47′01.1″E / 26.33278°N 127.783639°E / 26.33278; 127.783639
Capacity 10,000
Scoreboard510-inch display
Tenants
Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.League) (2020–present)
Building details
Okinawa Arena
General information
StatusCompleted
GroundbreakingSeptember 25, 2018
Estimated completionMarch 2021
Cost¥17 billion
Technical details
Floor count6
Floor area26,200 m2 (282,000 sq ft)
Other information
Seating capacity10,000
Website
www.okinawa-arena.jp

The Okinawa Arena, also provisionally known as the Okinawa City Multi-Purpose Arena, [1] is an indoor arena [2] in Okinawa, Japan. It was opened in 2021 and is one of the venues of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Contents

Background

Plans to build the Okinawa arena were made as early as 2015. [3] In 2016, it was announced that the sports venue will be built over the site occupied by the Okinawa City bullfighting ring next to the Koza Sports Park. Sachiyo Kuwae, the city mayor, unveiled the master plan for the 10,000-person-capacity multipurpose arena on 12 July 2016. [4] The facility will have five stories above ground [5] and will have a parking area for 1,000 vehicles. [4]

The Okinawa Arena will have a total area of 26,200 m2 (282,000 sq ft). Its estimated total cost, including its parking facilities, is 17 billion yen. [5]

Demolition of the bullfighting ring was planned to commence in 2017 and was followed by the construction of the arena building itself. [3] The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 25, 2018 and is planned to open by September 2020. [6]

Use

Interior during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup 20230825 Basketball World Cup 08.jpg
Interior during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

The Okinawa Arena is the home venue of the Ryukyu Golden Kings professional basketball team and is also set to host major events in Okinawa City. [4]

It is Japan's sole venue in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which it co-hosts with the Philippines and Indonesia. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa Prefecture</span> Prefecture of Japan

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It has a population of 1,457,162 and a geographic area of 2,281 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nago</span> City in Okinawa, Japan

Nago is a city located in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 61,659 and a population density of 293 persons per km2. Its total area is 210.30 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa Urban Monorail</span> Public transit line serving the cities of Naha and Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan

The Okinawa Urban Monorail, also known as Yui Rail, is a monorail line serving the cities of Naha and Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan. Operated by Okinawa Urban Monorail, Inc., it opened on 10 August 2003, and is the only public rail system in Okinawa Prefecture. Yui Rail is the first rail line on Okinawa since World War II. As Okinawa is the island of Japan lying farthest to the south and west that has an active rail line, Akamine Station and Naha Airport Station, the southernmost and westernmost rail stations in Japan respectively, lie on this line. It uses the OKICA as its contactless smart card, and integrates with Suica and other major Japanese IC cards from 10 March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-Wave</span> Speed skating oval in Nagano, Japan

Nagano Olympic Memorial Arena, or M-Wave, is a covered speed skating oval in the city of Nagano, Japan. M-Wave, which opened in November, 1996, was constructed for the speed skating events at the 1998 Winter Olympics. It was Japan's first International Skating Union (ISU) standard indoor 400m double-track, and only second indoor track speed skating in Japan. The other, Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval, is located in Obihiro, Hokkaido.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miyakojima, Okinawa</span> City in Kyushu, Japan

Miyakojima is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, located on the Miyako Islands. As of 2012, it had a population of 54,908. The current mayor is Kazuyuki Zakimi, who took office on January 25, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa (city)</span> City in Kyushu, Japan

Okinawa City is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Naha. As of 1 October 2020, the city has an estimated population of 142,752 and a population density of 2,913.31 persons per km2. The total area is 49.00 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryukyu Golden Kings</span> Professional basketball team in Okinawa, Japan

Ryukyu Golden Kings are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Okinawa City, Okinawa. They compete in the B.League, the top-tier professional basketball league of Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa Convention Center</span> Convention center in Okinawa, Japan

The Okinawa Convention Center is a multi-purpose convention center in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The center was opened in 1987. It has a capacity of 5,000. It is the former home arena of the Ryukyu Golden Kings basketball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koza riot</span> 1970 protest against US military presence in Okinawa, Japan

The Koza riot was a violent and spontaneous protest against the US military presence in Okinawa, which occurred on the night of December 20, 1970, into the morning of the following day. Roughly 5,000 Okinawans clashed with roughly 700 American MPs in an event which has been regarded as symbolic of Okinawan anger against 25 years of US military administration. In the riot, approximately 60 Americans and 27 Okinawans were injured, 80 cars were burned, and several buildings on Kadena Air Base were destroyed or heavily damaged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup</span> International basketball competition

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 19th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was the second to feature 32 teams and was hosted by multiple nations for the first time in its history—the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia—from 25 August to 10 September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akita Northern Gate Square</span> Anita Northern Gate Square

Akita Northern Gate Square (秋田ノーザンゲートスクエア) is an indoor basketball arena in Akita, Akita, Japan. Groundbreaking and construction began in 2018, and it was opened on December 17, 2019. It is located adjacent to the JR Akita Station, and the home practice arena of JR East Akita Peckers basketball. Featuring Akita cedar ceiling frameworks and glass walls, the three-storey building also houses the practice facility and team headquarters of the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine–Japanese–Indonesian bid for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup</span>

The joint Philippine–Japanese–Indonesian bid for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Japan Basketball Association, and the Indonesian Basketball Association's successful bid for the right to host the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa City Gymnasium</span> Arena in Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Okinawa City Gymnasium is an arena in Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan. It is the home arena of the Ryukyu Golden Kings of the B.League, Japan's professional basketball league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arena Tachikawa Tachihi</span> Arena in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

Arena Tachikawa Tachihi is an arena in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the home arena of the Alvark Tokyo of the B.League, Japan's professional basketball league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mao Ishikawa</span> Japanese photographer (born 1953)

MaoIshikawa is an Okinawan photographer and activist. Her photographs largely feature bar girls, performers, soldiers, and other fringe members within Okinawan and Japanese society. Ishikawa's earlier works are characterized by her approach to photography which involved the photographer's immersion in the environment of her images, whether by living with her subject or working in close proximity to them. In her photographs of active soldiers and military bases both in and outside of Japan beginning from the 1990s, Ishikawa has more directly addressed political undercurrents, namely contempt for the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and distrust of the Japanese government. Her most recent series Great Ryukyu Photo Scroll (大琉球写真絵巻) (2014-) approaches the same themes through a narrative tone, using satire and pop culture references to reconstruct important moments in Okinawan history.

The XTM Arena Tour, also known as TAEMIN ARENA TOUR 2019 ~X™~, was the second Japanese concert tour by South Korean singer Taemin. It commenced in Sapporo on June 8, 2019, and concluded in Chōfu on August 12, 2019. The tour spanned 17 shows across seven cities, attracting approximately 150,000 attendees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pia Arena MM</span>

Pia Arena MM (ぴあアリーナMM) is a dedicated music arena in Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by Pia Corporation. Before the official name was decided, it was tentatively called "Pia MM Arena".

References

  1. "(仮称)沖縄市多目的アリーナ施設等整備全体計画調査業務報告書". Okinawa City Government. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  2. "(仮称)沖縄市多目的アリーナ建設工事 起工式開催のご報告". 25 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Okinawa Arena Leaflet : 事業スケジュール(予定)" (PDF) (in Japanese). Okinawa City Government. p. 2. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Multipurpose arena plan for Okinawa City unveiled". Japan Update. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 "沖縄市アリーナ計画、総工費170億円 1万人規模で算定" [Planned Okinawa City Arena, is estimated to cost 17 billion yen and has a capacity of 10,000 people]. Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 16 September 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  6. "(仮称)沖縄市多目的アリーナ建設工事 起工式開催のご報告". Ryukyu Golden Kings (in Japanese). 25 September 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  7. "2023年バスケW杯、予選ラウンド開催地に沖縄市が名乗り 1万人アリーナ評価" [Okinawa City's 10,000 capacity arena will be evaluated as a potential venue for the preliminary round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.]. Okinawa Times. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.