Japan iconic rugby stadium to be replaced

Article posted by Coliseum, August 31^st, 2022

Image: Japan Sports Council

The Japan Sport Council announced on August 22^nd that it has awarded a contract to a corporate group led by the Kajima Corp to build a new stadium to replace the iconic Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in central Tokyo.

Groundbreaking for the new stadium is scheduled in 2024. It will come on stream at the end of 2027.

‘The Asahi Shimbun’ stated that the Japan Sport Council, an external body of the Sports Ministry that manages and operates the existing Chichibunomiya Stadium, also known as the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium, had been soliciting a business operator to construct and manage a new stadium through open bidding.

The Japan Sport Council (JSC) is the central organization specializing in sports promotional activities and the maintenance and enhancement of school children’s health.

The Kajima Corporation is one of the oldest and largest construction companies in Japan. Founded in 1840, the company has its headquarters in Motoakasaka, Minato, Tokyo.

The 27,188-capacity Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium is a rugby union stadium located in the Aoyama district of central Tokyo, Japan. It is the home of the Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union.

Three groups participated in the bidding process.

‘The Asahi Shimbun’ further stated that the winner was a group called ‘Scrum for Shin-Chichibunomiya’.

The group is led by the construction giant Kajima, and its members include the Mitsui Fudosan Company, Tokyo Dome Corp, Tokyo Tatemono Company, MHS Planners, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s Tokyo Headquarters, Nippon Television Network Corp., Avex Entertainment, Nippon Broadcasting System Inc., SoftBank Corp., and the Sohgo Security Services Company (ALSOK).

The group’s bid was 8.1 billion yen ($60 million), the lowest among the three bidders, according to the Japan Sport Council.

The new stadium construction is part of a large-scale redevelopment plan for the Meiji Jingu Gaien district.

Under the group’s proposed plan, the new stadium’s capacity will be about 15,000 for a rugby game, smaller than the capacity of the existing Chichibunomiya Stadium.

For other types of events, the capacity of the new stadium will be circa 20,000, the group said.

The spectator stands will be located on three sides of the stadium, while a large screen will be placed on the remaining side.

The new stadium will be built on the site where the 37,933-capacity Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, currently stands.

Rules’ Compliance

The ‘Japan Sport Council’ stated that on August 22^nd, 2022, the Japan Sport Council announced that the new Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (provisional name) development and operation project will comply with the Act on Promotion of Development, Etc. of Public Facilities Using Private Funds (Act No. 117 of 1999).

The ‘Japan Sport Council’ further stated that details regarding the breakdown of technical evaluation points, examination comments and bidding results will be announced at a later date.

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