35°39′51.5″N139°31′37.6″E / 35.664306°N 139.527111°E /35.664306; 139.527111
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| Full name | Ajinomoto Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Tokyo Stadium (2001–2003, 2019–2020) |
| Location | Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan |
| Public transit |  Keio Line atTobitakyū Seibu Tamagawa Line atTama |
| Owner | Tokyo Municipal Government |
| Operator | Tokyo Stadium Co., Ltd. |
| Capacity | 49,970 |
| Field size | 110.5 m x 75.4 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 10 March 2001 |
| Tenants | |
Ajinomoto Stadium (味の素スタジアム,Ajinomoto Sutajiamu), formerly known asTokyo Stadium in theAFC Champions League and rugby competitions, is amulti-purpose stadium inChōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The stadium was founded at Kantō Mura, the redevelopment area formerly used byUnited States Forces Japan, in March 2001.
It was the first stadium in Japan that sold itsnaming rights, which went toAjinomoto Co., Inc. on a five-year, 1.2 billionyen (about 10 millionU.S. dollars) contract from March 2003 to February 2008 to name it Ajinomoto Stadium. This contract was renewed in November 2007 and extended by six years for 1.4 billion yen to February 2014; in October 2013, the second renewal extended the term to February 2019.[1]
The stadium is the home ofJ1 Leaguefootball clubsFC Tokyo andTokyo Verdy and is used as the venue of some lower divisions of football leagues.Rugby union games are also held there. For the2002 FIFA World Cup,Saudi Arabia's national team based their training camp at Chōfu and used the stadium as a main training ground, although it did not host an actual World Cup match.
The stadium is often used for non-sport events, such as concerts andflea markets. It has been used as a shelter for survivors of the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[2] The stadium was therugby venue for the2020 Summer Olympics.[3] During the Olympics, the stadium was known as Tokyo Stadium due toInternational Olympic Committee's non-commercialization policy. The stadium has also been one of the venues for2019 Rugby World Cup and hosted the opening ceremony, followed by the opening match of the tournament, as well as other 7 matches including Bronze Final.[4]
The north end of the stadium adjoins theChofu Airport, while Route 20 runs close to the south end. At the south end is the main gate, which is directly connected by a pedestrian bridge over Route 20.
The stand accommodates 49,970 and is divided into two levels; the upper level accommodates 20,600 and the lower level 29,370 (both are all-seated). On each level, the stand is divided into four sections (main, back, north and south sides).
The whole of the upper level, as well as upper tiers of the lower level, is covered by roof, which is made ofTeflon (main and back) andpolycarbonate (both sides). The main stand houses media and hospitality boxes,VIP rooms and reception hall. Two largeLED displays are installed at both sides.
The ground was originally designed for bothathletics and football games. However, the construction of the supplementary ground, which is needed for compliance with 1st-grade athletic grounds in Japan, has been postponed. The management company has decided to use the ground mainly for football, and not to install a running track until the supplementary pitch has been added. Currentlyartificial turf is laid down all over the ground except thefootball field area, over which naturalturf is spread. Consequently, there is some room between the football pitch and the stand.
In 2013, the athletics track was finally installed in order to host theNational Sports Festival of Japan at the same year.[5] However, the artificial turf is still used over the track for football matches.
In order to comply with height limitation close to the airport, the pitch is sunk below the level of the land around the stadium.[citation needed]
| Date | Time (JST) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 September 2019 | 19:45 |  Japan | 30–10 |  Russia | Pool A (opening match) | 45,745 |
| 21 September 2019 | 16:15 |  France | 23–21 |  Argentina | Pool C | 40,004 |
| 29 September 2019 | 16:45 |  Australia | 25–29 |  Wales | Pool D | 47,885 |
| 5 October 2019 | 17:00 |  England | 39–10 | Argentina | Pool C | 48,185 |
| 6 October 2019 | 13:45 |  New Zealand | 71–9 |  Namibia | Pool B | 48,354 |
| 19 October 2019 | 19:15 | New Zealand | 46–14 |  Ireland | Quarter Final | 46,686 |
| 20 October 2019 | 19:15 | Japan | 3–26 |  South Africa | Quarter Final | 48,831 |
| 1 November 2019 | 18:00 | New Zealand | 40–17 | Wales | Bronze Final | 48,842 |
| Date | Time (JST) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 July 2021 | 17.00 |  Mexico | 4–1 | France | Group A | 0 |
| 22 July 2021 | 20.00 | Japan | 1–0 | South Africa | Group A | 0 |
| Date | Time (JST) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 July 2021 | 17.30 |  Sweden | 3–0 |  United States | Group G | 0 |
| 21 July 2021 | 20.30 | Australia | 2–1 | New Zealand | Group G | 0 |
It was constructed as the main stadium for the 2013 Tama National Games
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