| Yokohama Arena | |
|---|---|
Main entrance |
|
| Location | 3-10 Shin-Yokohama, Konan-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Opened | April 1, 1989 |
| Owner | Yokohama Arena Corp. |
| Architect | Takenaka Corporation |
| Capacity | 17,000 |
Yokohama Arena (横浜アリーナ Yokohama Arīna) is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama Municipal Subway.
The first WWE SmackDown world tour was held here. The "10th Anniversary Show" for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was held in this arena in 1999, in which both the arena and FMW were the same exact age.
As one of the largest concert venues in the Kantō region, it is a frequent location for artists to end their tours. The spacious stage allows for more complex set design and lighting, but the reasonable size makes it easier to sell out than the Tokyo Dome.
Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada performed in Yokohama Arena on December 8-9 2010, for her last concert before her indefinite hiatus, titled "WILD LIFE"[1]. The concert was filmed and broadcast across cinemas in Japan, and also streamed on Ustream for international fans to view it.
Popular Japanese Idol group Morning Musume performed there on December 15, 2010 for the last date of their Rival Survival concert tour[2]. This performance was also the graduation concert of 6th generation member Eri Kamei and 8th generation members Junjun and Linlin.
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and resulting tsunami, Yokohama played host as an emergency shelter for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Citizens were allowed the stay the night, and were offered blankets and other amenities. Hideharu Terada, a Yokohama Arena official stated "There has never been a big earthquake like this. [...] People are trickling in. They are all calm."[3]