Stadiums in Japan: Niigata "Big Swan"Stadium

Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture

Niigata prefecture lies on the cool northern coast of Japan's main island, facing the Japan Sea. The city of Niigata lies at the heart of a rich coastal plain, carpeted by green rice fields, which is backed by towering mountains. It is the largest Japanese city on the Japan Sea coast, but even so, it is a rather sedate and cozy city with a population of about 530,000. It is located approximately 300km northwest of Tokyo, or about three or four hours by car or train, though the fastest Shinkansen bullet trains make the trip in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Niigata has been a prosperous port city since the Edo period, because of its position at the center of the key trade routes in the Sea of Japan.

Although football fever was a bit late in arriving in Niigata, local fans have more than made up for their late start. When Japan's J.League was formed in 1992, there were no teams from northern Japan or the Japan sea coast. However, a few local second-division teams were formed at this time, and they quickly attracted huge and loyal followings. This seems to be partly because there are no baseball teams in the region, so football does not have to compete with Japan's other major sport. In any event, Niigata's local team, Albirex Nigatra, soon advanced to become a member of the J.League's second division (J2), and in 2004, finally gained admittance to the topdivision. The team led the league in total attendance in 2004. This may be partly a tribute to the beautiful World Cup stadium that has become the team's new home ground. Niigata Stadium takes its nickname, "Big Swan", from the team mascot -- a white swan named "Albireo". It is a truly magnificent facility which, despite the presence of a running track arond the field, has a cozy and comfortable feeling even when it is filled with 50,000 screaming Albirex fans.

Stadium Access Niigata Stadium is not particularly easy to reach by public transportation. In the rural Niigata area, most people drive to the park by car. However, the stadium is served by shuttle buses from outside the south exit of Niigata station , on the JR Echigo line. Board any bus labeled "Sonogi New Town" or "Niigata Stadium" and get off at the "Sports Koen" bus stop, which is right in front of the stadium park.

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Ticket Prices General admission: Adults Y2,500; Children Y1,000 S, N and E Zone reserved: All seats Y2,500 2F reserved: Y3,000 1F reserved: Y3,500

Pictures of Niigata "Big Swan" Stadium

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