Fukuda Denshi Arena – stadium description

This is Japan’s first football ground built after the 2002 World Cup boom. It also is the first ever in Japan to have a naming rights holder from the very start – Fukuda Denshi (initially signed until 2010, then prolonged to 2013). To avoid saying the whole name, locals call it Fuku-Ari.

Contrary to large venues built in Japan before, this one was planned for J.League scale, with size adjusted to needs of its tenants, JEF United (crowds of 15,000+). Interestingly, though, this wasn’t the plan in late 1990s, when Chiba municipality hoped to host the World Cup with a new 50,000-seater, but didn’t get selected for the tournament.

The ground is very well connected, allowing easy access not only from within Chiba, but from other parts of the massive agglomeration. Getting here from central Tokyo takes some 30 minutes.