Kanazawa Stadium – stadium description

When was a new stadium built in Kanazawa?

In 2019, a concept for a new football stadium in Kanazawa (the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture), for football club Zweigen Kanazawa, was created at the initiative of the municipal authorities. Azusa Sekkei studio was responsible for the design of the stadium.

Construction officially began on September 28, 2021, with a consortium of Kumagai Gumi, UEKI Corporation, Suzuki Construction and Hokuriku Koken as the main contractor for the facility. The cost of the project was 7.98 billion yen.

The stadium was to be completed by the end of 2023, so that it would be ready for the start of the 2024 season. The work went very smoothly. As early as mid-2023, the green turf appeared, and seats were installed in the stands.

You can see the architectural concept and a report on the construction of Kanazawa Stadium on separate subpages

What was the name given to the new Kanazawa Stadium?

In February 2023, the name of the facility was officially adopted as "Kanazawa Stadium". In June 2023, however, the search for a title sponsor began. In August of the same year, it was announced that Go Go Curry was the preferred partner, with whom a five-year agreement was eventually signed, and the stadium was named "Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium".

When was the Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium inaugurated?

The inauguration of the stadium took place on February 18, 2024. At the opening, the hosts lost in a preseason game with the team Kataller from nearby town Toyama 1–4. The first league match in the new stadium took place on March 2, 2024 (Zweigen Kanazawa – FC Imabari 1–3).

Who was the Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium built for?

The main user of the stadium is the Zweigen Kanazawa football club. The club was founded in 1956, although it adopted its current name in 2006. The word Zweigen was formed from a combination of the German "zwei" (two) and "gen" (towards, advance), but it also resembles the expression "tsuee gen!" (we are strong!) from the local dialect.

Before the new stadium was built, Zweigen's players performed at the Ishikawa Athletics Stadium, which opened in 1974. From 2015, the team played in the J2 League, although in the 2023 season, just before the opening of the new stadium, the club was relegated to the third division (J3 League).

Where is Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium located?

The stadium was built in the southern part of the Johoku Citizen Sports Park. This complex was opened in the early 1990s. Initially, it consisted of a baseball stadium (with a capacity of 10,000 spectators) and a football stadium (with a single stand holding 3,010 spectators).

A few years before the new stadium was built, new facilities were constructed at the complex: a sports hall, an indoor swimming pool and two small playing fields (which were later replaced by a stadium). The complex is located along the Hokuriku Expressway and about one kilometer west of the Higashi-Kanazawa train station.

What does the Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium look like?

The stadium has a typical soccer layout, with a capacity of 10,444 spectators (of which 2,000 in standing room as well as 62 seats for wheelchair users). The stadium received stands on three sides: two along the pitch and one behind the south goal (ultras). On the north side, a large video screen was built, as well as narrow terraces, intended for fans of visiting teams.

Except for a small guest sector, all spectator seats are covered. Behind the goals there are standing places, with barriers to improve safety. The stands along the pitch are divided into tiers and equipped with plastic seats, forming a mosaic of black and shades of red (a reference to the club's colors). The main stand with VIP boxes and extensive infrastructure is located on the west side.

The south stand is lower than the other two, and thanks to the characteristic form of the roof, from the outside it is meant to resemble a traditional Japanese gate, the so-called torii. A promenade stretches behind the upper rows of this stand, providing a link between all the stands. At its rear is a footbridge led over the street.