Japan Stadiums: Mikuni World Stadium Guide Kitakyushu
Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu (ミクニワールドスタジアム北九州) is the home ground of Giravanz Kitakyushu, a J.League club and is also used for rugby union games.
The stadium was originally known as 'Kitakyushu Stadium' but the naming rights were purchased by Mikuni, a real estate company.
Kitakyushu Stadium opened in 2017 and Giravanz moved from their previous Honjo Athletics Stadium to their new home.
The ground is the closest to the sea among stadiums in the J.League. Indeed, a "No Fishing" sign has been placed in the back stand. It is not uncommon for balls to end up in the ocean during games and the club retrieves them later.
Construction costs totalled 8.9 billion yen or the equivalent of nearly 57 million USD.
Three of the four stands are covered. The ground is also equipped with a big screen. The natural grass playing surface measures 105 by 68 meters.
History & Capacity
The all-seater 15,300 capacity stadium opened in 2017. It is sponsored by Mikuni, a real estate company and part of the World Holdings group.
The first game played at the stadium was a charity rugby match in aid of the victims of the Tohoku (2011) and Kumamoto (2016) earthquakes. The first soccer game at the stadium was Giravanz Kitakyushu v Blaublitz Akita with free entry. This attracted a then J3 record crowd of 14,935 spectators.
The stadium has hosted both the Japanese national women's team (Nadeshiko) and the national men's rugby team.
The Club: Giravanz Kitakyushu
Giravanz evolved from Mitsubishi Chemical SC which was formed as a factory team in 1947. Mitsubishi Chemical became (New Wave) Kitakyushu F.C in 2001 and then Giravanz Kitakyushu in 2010. The name Giravanz is a combination of 'Girasole', Italian for "sunflower" (Kitakyushu's official flower), and 'Avanzare.' The team competed in J2 from 2010 with little distinction until their relegation to J3 in 2016, returning to J2 in 2020 but immediately relegated again the following season. Thus becoming the first club to be relegated twice from J2 to J3.
Access - Getting There
The ground is centrally located and within easy walking distance of JR Kokura Station.
By train, Kokura is 4 hours, 40 minutes by shinkansen from Tokyo, 2 hours, 40 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station and 15 minutes from Hakata Station in Fukuoka.
From JR Kokura Station it is less than 15 minutes on foot to the stadium.
The nearby Kitakyushu Manga Museum is worth a visit for fans of the genre. It is on the 5th and 6th floors of Aru-Aru City, a mall devoted to manga and anime products.
South of JR Kokura Station is Kokura Castle (a 1950s reconstruction of the original) and the more recent Toto Museum - dedicated to the history of toilets and the Kitakyushu-based company's own toilet products in particular.
3-9-33 Asano, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 802-0001
Nearby Hotels
The industrial city of Kitakyushu offers several recommended hotels if you are spending time in the area.
Some recommendations include the Premier Hotel Mojiko, a 4-star property with two dining options and rooms with sea views.
The RIHGA Royal Hotel Kokura is also a 4-star hotel, a short walk from the stadium.
The 4-star JR Kyushu Station Hotel Kokura is very close to JR Kokura Station as is the 3-star Toyoko Inn Kokura-eki Kita-guchi.
More J.League Stadiums
Tosu Stadium (Ekimae Real Estate Stadium)
Sanga Stadium by Kyocera Kyoto
Toyota Stadium Aichi Prefecture
Photos by Japan-based journalist Sean Carroll - author of Between The Lines: Navigating The World of Japanese Football
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