Japan Stadiums: Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima
Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima (エディオンピースウイング広島) is the new home ground of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a solid J.League club and the women's team Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina. The stadium opened in time for the 2024 season and replaced the rather inconvenient and unloved Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium. The Big Arch Stadium was one of several stadiums in the J.League with a running track and is not soccer-specific. Pressure from the club's fan base including a petition signed by 370,000 people led to the move to a more central location.
Construction costs totalled 27.1 billion yen or the equivalent of 167 million USD. The steel and reinforced concrete stadium took two years to complete.
Each of the four stands (north, south, east and west) are covered and have a different design. The north stand incorporates a state of the art 9 by 32 meter big screen. The natural grass playing surface measures 105 by 68 meters.
The stadium also has a museum, the Hiroshima Soccer Museum (広島サッカーミュージアム), as well as several restaurants and shops.
World-class Experience
Attendees at Sanfrecce games can take in the action from closer than ever before, with front-row seats just meters away from the pitch. Second-level stands have been installed at a 35-degree incline, offering superb viewing angles from every seat, with roofs protecting all fans from inclement weather.
The stadium features five premium and VIP lounges as well as a two-story children's daycare and a Japanese football-first dedicated sensory room.
Outside of match days, stadium tours take fans behind the scenes at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, including a 'new player experience' where participants can take questions in a press conference and warm up on the pitch.
There has been a lot of kudos for the stadium from those from the football community as Hiroshima residents and tourists have praised the stadium experience so far.
The ground held its first match on Saturday, February 10, 2024, when J.League co-founders and three-time champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima hosted Gamba Osaka in a preseason contest. Since then, Sanfrecce have jumped into the J1 title fray in no small part thanks to repeated sellout crowds at the venue, including the team 's first midweek sellouts since 1994.
History & Capacity
The all-seater 28,520 capacity soccer-specific stadium opened in 2024. It is sponsored by Edion, a nationwide electronics retailer.
Club History: Sanfrecce
Sanfrecce have won the J.League title three times and reached the final of the Emperor's Cup a record 15 times. The club last lifted the title in 2015. Before that they won the league in 2012 and 2013. The team also finished third in the 2015 Club World Cup.
Manager and former Sanfrecce midfielder Hajime Moriyasu was the inspiration behind the team's success at the time. Moriyasu is now currently the manger of the Japan national football team, the Blue Samurai.
Hajime Moriyasu, Samurai Blue head coach (former Sanfrecce Hiroshima player and manager) says of the stadium: "I spent a long time in Hiroshima as a player and experienced various things as a coach, and one of my biggest dreams while I was here was for there to be a soccer-specific stadium in Hiroshima.
They built a wonderful stadium where the pitch and stands come together in excitement, and it was a joy to play [a national team game] here."
"Soccer is a global sport. With Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome nearby, I hope [visitors] will be able to come in contact with that history and contemplate peace."
Keisuke Osako, Sanfrecce Hiroshima goal keeper: "It's surprising how different the power the fans send us feels, because they're so close to the pitch. Because it's a soccer-specific stadium it's exciting for both teams, but it feels more [intimidating] for visitors. Opposing players tell me that it's hard to play in this atmosphere, and that really helps us."
"I've heard that lots of fans come here on walks or visit the club shop even when we're not playing, and the level of activity is so much different when the stadium is downtown … I think the impact of [Peace Wing] is massive."
Symbol of Peace
Owned by the city of Hiroshima and managed by Sanfrecce, Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima has been conceived as a new symbol of the city's rebirth and dedication to global peace.
Visitors to the stadium can learn about Hiroshima's relationship with football at the Hiroshima Football Museum, which features exhibits highlighting how the sport inspired the people of Hiroshima in the years following World War II, as well as the rise of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and predecessor Toyo Kogyo SC. Admission is presently 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students.
The Peace Wall, located on the east side of the second-floor concourse, features a mural by "Captain Tsubasa" creator Yoichi Takahashi, inspired by series protagonist Tsubasa Aozora's "football world peace declaration."
Facts & Stats
- Japan's first downtown soccer-specific stadium
- Seats as close as eight meters from the pitch
- 42 unique seating categories - the most in the J.League
- Nearly ¥7 billion in public donations went toward the stadium's construction, including ¥640 million from individuals
- Average attendance has risen by 9,398 from the 2023 season (as of Round 36); Sanfrecce leads the J.League in filled capacity at 90%
- Hosted Hiroshima's first senior national team game since 2004, a 5-0 win by Japan over Syria in World Cup qualifying on June 11, 2024
- Venue for club internationals including an August friendly between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Stuttgart as well as ACL Two group-stage games
Access - Getting There
The ground is centrally located near the Ota River and close to Hiroshima's main sites within easy walking distance of the A-Bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Museum of Art and next door to the historic Hiroshima Castle.
By train, the nearest station is Shin-Hakushima Station (新白島駅) on the Astram Line, Sanyō Main Line and Kabe Line.
From here it is a 15-minute walk to the stadium. From Hiroshima Station on the Shinkansen from Osaka and Tokyo is 30 minutes on foot. Alternatively, Yokogawa Station on the JR Sanyo Line is a 20-minute walk away.
Both Kenchō-mae Station on the Astram Line and Genbaku Dome-mae Station tram stop are just 10 minutes on foot.
Hitoshima's main bus station is also a short walk from the venue.
Hiroshima is, of course, famous for being the first city in the world to be the victim of an atomic bomb. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Peace Memorial Park are must-visits.
Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, 730-0011
Nearby Hotels
The city of Hiroshima offers a range of hotel and options to suit all budgets from 5-star properties to cheaper guesthouses.
Some recommendations include the Mitsui Garden Hotel Hiroshima, a 4-star property with three dining options and rooms with flat-screen TV.
The APA Hotel Hiroshima-Ekimae Ohashi is 3-star business hotel, a short walk from JR Hiroshima Station.
The 4-star Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima is very close to the ground as is the 3-star Valie Hotel Hiroshima.
Candeo Hotels Hiroshima Hatchobori is another downtown option just 10 minutes or so from the A-Dome.
Things to Do in Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Memorial & Museum
Hiroshima is defined by its past and and those events are memorialised in the present through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome). The park area covers more than 120,000 square meters and allows visitors to gently stroll around the area to learn more about the significance of what occurred in August 1945. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is a sombre journey through the horrors and devastation left by the atomic bomb on its victims and the city.
Miyajima Island
For a feel of the beauty of the region then visitors should head to Miyajima Island which is a calm and serene oasis. The island is famed for the Itsukushima Shrine which is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, visitors will immediately see the visually stunning Great Torii Gate of Miyajima which was first constructed in 1168 and subsequently 'renovated' up to 2022. The island is also great for hikes and to sample street food and snacks.
Okonomiyaki
A famous dish from the region is Okonomiyaki which is a type of savoury pancake which comes in many different forms. The main ingredients tend to be pork, cheese, and noodles supplemented with bonito flakes, green laver and okonomiyaki sauce. Hiroshima's Hondori street has many different eateries where visitors can sample all the different forms of Okonomiyaki.
More J.League Stadiums
Tosu Stadium (Ekimae Real Estate Stadium)
Sanga Stadium by Kyocera Kyoto
Toyota Stadium Aichi Prefecture
Gallery
Some photos by Japan-based journalist Sean Carroll - author of Between The Lines: Navigating The World of Japanese Football
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