title>Football Stadiums in Japan: Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium Stadiums in Japan

Stadiums in Japan: Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium

Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka prefecture lies to the southwest of Tokyo, and the site of Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium is roughly halfway between Tokyo and Osaka. Located close to the ocean and warmed by the so-called "kuroshio" current, most of Shizuoka enjoys a mild climate for most of the year. The exception is the highland area surrounding Mt. Fuji, which towers above the Shizuoka hills providing a fine view from many parts of the prefecture. Shizuoka is primarily an agricultural prefecture, renowned for its green tea and "mikan" tangerines, though the western end of the prefecture is an industrial center for the auto and auto parts industries. The prefecture has always been considered the "football heartland" of Japan.

Even before the J.League was formed, many of the nation's top company teams, as well as high school football champions hailed from the prefecture. In addition, Shimizu City, in particular, is home to a large Brazilian and Japanese-Brazilian community, which provides some of the most vocal and energetic football fans.

Unlike most of the other venues, Shizuoka Stadium is not really "associated" with one particular city. This is partly due to the fact that it was built, in part, to serve as a home venue for two of the prefecture's J.League teams -- Jubilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse. Though a bit closer to Iwata, the stadium is located in an area that is also convenient to fans coming from Shimizu, and as a result, it is the site of some fierce rivalries in the J.League, particularly for the Shizuoka Derby match, each season. Both teams are among the top contenders in the league, and their head-to-head rivalry includes some historic matches, such as the 1999 league championship series.
Shizuoka Stadium is at the center of a very large sports complex, which will also serve as Japan's home base for the World Cup. Several other training facilities are also located in the prefecture (including the home facilities of S-Pulse and Jubilo). Consequently, the area is likely to host the training camps of a number of countries, during the prelude to the World Cup matches.

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Shizuoka Prefectural Stadium "Ecopa" Capacity: 50,000
Home Team: Jubilo Iwata,. Shimizu S-Pulse Completed: March 2001

Location:Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Pref., Japan
Architects: AXA Sato Inc. General Contractors: Kajima Corporation, Takenaka Corporation, etc.
Building Area: 31,777m2 Total Floor Area: 83,278m2

Covered Area: 23,000m2 Stand Inclination: Max. 32.5 degree angle