Nippon Budokan

The Budokan was built for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where judo was included in the Olympic program for the first time. The arena opened on October 3, 1964, and cost two billion yen.

At the 2020 Games, martial arts returned to the arena: the judo and karate tournaments were held here, as was judo during the Paralympic Games. The building was renovated in 2020.

In addition to martial arts, the arena grew into a household name in the music world. The Beatles were the first rock band to perform there in 1966, with five half-hour concerts, and ABBA decided to end its final tour there in March 1980.

The building was designed by architect Mamoru Yamada and constructed by Takenaka Corporation. It is an octagonal structure 42 metres high, modelled after the Yumedono, the Hall of Dreams at Horyu-ji Temple in Nara.

The hall is located in Kitanomaru Park in central Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine.

The 14,471 seats are divided among 2,946 seats in the arena itself, 3,199 on the first floor, 7,846 on the second floor, and 480 standing places.

Because of its octagonal shape, the audience has a view of the mat in the center from all sides. The venue is also known for its acoustics and disciplined audience, which is why countless artists recorded live albums there.

The name literally means Japanese martial arts hall, and the venue was built with that purpose in mind. Judo, karate, and other budo disciplines have their national stage there, and performing or fighting at the Budokan is considered a milestone in itself in Japan.