Why not “stadium,” but “stadium city”?

Nagasaki Stadium City will open on October 14, 2024. PEACE STADIUM Connected by SoftBank stands at the heart of this facility. This will be the new home stadium for V-Varen Nagasaki, and adjoins an arena, commercial facilities, offices, and hotel to form a complex facility. As the first stadium in J.LEAGUE that is established and operated by the private sector, it envisions a new future built upon the potential of stadiums.

Commenting on the beginnings of this big project, Hideki IWASHITA, President of Regional Creation Nagasaki, a Japanet Holdings group company that is engaged in regional revitalisation projects, said, “The impetus behind this was, of course, the fact that we manage V-Varen Nagasaki. We also felt that having a dedicated stadium in this city could contribute to its development. We started by exploring these possibilities.” The goal is to solve the modern-day challenges faced by regional cities, such as population decline and the exodus of younger generations from the prefecture. A project that is launched from the viewpoint of regional revitalisation will have greater possibilities that extend far beyond the limitations of a stadium or an arena.

“If the stadium were used solely for J. LEAGUE matches and B. LEAGUE games, the number of operations per year would be extremely low, making it impossible to achieve our goal. This was an important premise in our considerations. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to broaden our perspective a little more and operate it from the viewpoint of urban development?” said President Iwashita.

From a stadium or arena, to a “stadium city.” A “city” comprising commercial facilities, offices, and a hotel will build close ties with the lives of the Nagasaki people. The leading characters in this story are the stadium and arena. One of the characteristics of a stadium city is its navigability.

President Iwashita explained, “If you circle around the stadium, you can see or experience all the contents and facilities. It is basically an uninterrupted route that is designed to continue seamlessly. At the same time, we have placed the emphasis on creating a sense of liberation for the stadium itself, as that sense of openness will be lost if each separate section were a closed space. The hotel on the other side is visible across the space. From the spaces between the stands opposite that, you can also get a glimpse of the river, sea, and mountains. The route goes in a circle around such a space.”

If the characteristic of a stadium city is its sense of openness, then the stadium is characterised by its sense of distance. According to President Iwashita, physical proximity amplifies excitement and emotions by several times. Based on this idea, particular attention was given to ensuring that the five-meter distance between the stands and the pitch, at their nearest points, as stipulated by J.LEAGUE. Other creative efforts were also made to increase the points of contact between players and fans/supporters and to increase proximity inside the stadium, such as by making it possible for spectators in the VIP lounge to see the players entering the stadium. “As players, clubs, and teams increase in appeal, I believe that the experience of watching a match will automatically increase in value. That is why I want to create such a loop,” said President Iwashita, who has high expectations of the stadium’s design features.

Maximising happiness over fairness—the benefits that are unique to initiatives led by the private sector

The strength of a private-sector establishment lies precisely in its ability to be particular about expressing a concept this thoroughly.

President Iwashita commented, “I think that a critical difference between the public and private sectors is that the public sector works on the fundamental principle that its officials must be fair to all citizens of cities, prefectures, and the country. This is a very important perspective. Conversely, however, if we were to try too hard to guarantee that when implementing a project, the project would lose its future potential. It may not be fair, but if we can say that we have achieved above the maximum value of happiness through that project, then I think that it is fine to offer very expensive VIP seats, for example, or on the other hand, to offer places where people can enjoy watching matches at no charge. That is the difference in mindset between the two sectors.”

The greatest benefit of a private-sector establishment is probably the ability to express fully what we consider to be the best thing. Conversely, the difficulty lies in the fact that a project is an investment. More than 90 billion yen has been invested into Nagasaki Stadium City. “I think that the most difficult part is determining the investment recovery period, and following through on the fundamental principle of ensuring that you make a return on the investment,” remarked President Iwashita. A standalone stadium has limited operating days in a year, so an extremely difficult road probably lies ahead from the viewpoint of achieving returns on investment. However, a complex facility like the stadium city brings new perspectives to stadium construction led by the private sector.

“We are thinking of allowing people to enter the stadium freely when there are no matches. For example, you may have come to the stadium city with the family to have a meal on a Saturday or Sunday when there are no matches, but the restaurants are crowded. In that case, you can also buy a takeaway and have your meal at the seats in the stadium. In addition, senior citizens who want to take a walk in the morning can also use the stadium concourse for that purpose. We think that it is important for people to feel closer to the stadium in these ways, and we are designing the facility with that in mind,” explained President Iwashita.

On match days, the stadium transforms into a space that is “out of the ordinary” and where you can experience football fever; outside of such times, it reaches out as an everyday space that is a familiar presence in people’s lives. If the stadium were constructed as an initiative by the public sector, it would probably have been difficult to achieve this balance. The ability to strike a balance between ordinary spaces and extraordinary spaces can be described as a significant benefit of stadium construction that is led by the private sector.

Towards becoming a “symbolic presence”—the opportunity that Nagasaki Stadium City brings to the home towns

If a stadium were a showcase, the products inside it would be the things that shine. Applying this analogy to football, it would be the team and players of V-Varen Nagasaki. How will the emergence of a wonderful showcase impact the teams and players that are meant to shine within this showcase? President Iwashita answers this question with great anticipation, “I hope that it will have a positive impact on club development and improving the team’s competitiveness.”

He continued, “Last year, I was in charge of both football and basketball games. Basketball team had a clubhouse before it was formed, and also the premise of a new arena in Stadium City. There are players and staff who came to join the team in response to that. Partly because of that, the team has produced results and is now active and successful in the circle. Hence, I get a sense that this positive influence could also be possible for football. Football players also often discuss which colours are good for the locker room, for example. Just the fact that they are discussing such topics suggests that they are envisioning the future, and if that resonates in their play in some way, I think that their results may change over time. I believe that the presence of the stadium will have a positive impact.”

J.LEAGUE Chairman Yoshikazu NONOMURA often touches on the importance of “what kind of works are created during the home games held on the weekends”. President Iwashita feels the same. Although the initiative is led by the private sector, they have not forgotten about the existence of the supporters who work together to create the work.

He said, “I think there are various types of supporters. There are those who watch matches, and those who give their support. Members of V-Varen Nagasaki’s support organisations are already discussing matters such as, ‘It will become more difficult to raise the large flags, so where shall we raise them?’ and ‘We have put up many banners so far, so where can we put them up in the new stadium?’ As far as possible, I think that we must avoid a situation in which things that could be done before at the Transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki, could no longer be achieved at the new stadium. We are engaged in discussions directly with the relevant parties to determine how we can settle these issues. I think it is important to hold many discussions so that the stadium can grow to become a stadium that is unique to everyone.”

To create a good piece of work, all the people who are involved pour their enthusiasm and passion into finding the best solution. The approach of working collaboratively with everyone to create the work may also be described as a characteristic of this new stadium. So, what is the ideal state for the stadium after its completion? President Iwashita expounded on this.

“In the future, everyone will buy season tickets, as spectators do in Europe, and come to the stadium every week. As they do not want to forgo their seat, they buy the season ticket again the following year. In this worldview, it will be possible to always hold matches in a filled stadium. This is the ideal state of affairs for a club. Of course, it is also necessary to enhance the club’s appeal. However, as a result of the accumulation of various positive aspects such as the ease of going to the stadium itself, or not having to wait for food, we hope to reach a place where everyone can say that going to the stadium weekly is a part of their lives.”

Japanet’s regional revitalisation business is based upon the desire to create cities that people from around the world want to visit, and to revitalise the city of Nagasaki. Due to its topographical issues, each region of Nagasaki Prefecture, such as northern Nagasaki or central Nagasaki, is strongly independent. Moreover, there are also offshore islands. Due to these factors, it is said to have weak inter-regional ties. This is precisely why President Iwashita’s words reflect his strong resolve “to make Nagasaki Stadium City a symbolic presence.”

“Nagasaki is full of great things, along with rich history and culture. I think that it is a city with diversity, for example, in the sense that it is able to convey a message of peace because it has suffered from an atomic bombing. The only thing that I think that is lacking in Nagasaki, rather than history or culture, is something simpler—a place that young people can easily visit for leisure on weekends. I think there have been few places with that type of entertainment value. I think that is a significant missing piece, and I think that fitting it back in the puzzle will make the merits of the big picture stand out even more. I believe that doing so will make the people of Nagasaki proud of their home town. It will also transform Nagasaki into a city that people of other prefectures feel is desirable to live in. I think it is strange if a city ranks high as a place that tourists want to visit, but which ranks low for how satisfied its residents are. It would be great if these elements could mesh, and I hope that Nagasaki Stadium City exists to serve this purpose.”

Within the J.LEAGUE, Nagasaki Stadium City is the first stadium constructed with adjoining facilities such as an arena and commercial facilities. President Iwashita spoke frankly about how he felt. “Hypothetically, if we were to fail, wouldn’t the possibilities that would probably have emerged in regional cities 10 or 20 years from now be destroyed? People would say, ‘Building a stadium and arena as a private initiative will not work. After all, Japanet failed in Nagasaki.’ When I think that this is what the future will be like, it puts a heavy pressure on me that we cannot fail for the sake of the future.” Still, there is no doubt that the pioneering Nagasaki Stadium City will leave a firm mark on the new future of stadiums. It takes its first step on October 14, 2024. The future that is mapped out from that point onwards will certainly greatly expand the possibilities of J.LEAGUE and stadiums. Born in Nagasaki prefecture in 1981. In 2006, he joined Japanet Takata Co., Ltd. that develops mail order services through television, radio, catalog and broadcasting.
He was the person in charge of the Internet division and PR strategy division.
In 2019, utilizing his activities in a variety of fields, he assumed position as the President and Representative Director of Japanet Logistics Service Co.Ltd., which is the one of the Japanet groups of logistics and installment division.
In 2020, he assumed position as Director of Japanet Holding, and as the President and Representative Director of Nagasaki Velca which is Nagasaki's first professional basketball club.
He is currently positioned as President and Representative Director of Regional Creation Nagasaki Co. Ltd., and Regional Foods Nagasaki Co. Ltd., that have been engaging in regional revitalization projects.