Machida GION Stadium, Tokyo
Machida GION Stadium (aka Machida Shiritsu Rikujo Kyogijo/町田市立陸上競技場) is the home of J.League club Machida Zelvia. It is one of several soccer stadiums within the Tokyo metropolitan area.
History & Capacity
The 15,489 capacity stadium is located within Nozuta Park.
The multi-purpose ground has a running track and also hosts rugby and athletics. It opened in 1990.
Over the years the stadium has been expanded, renovated and upgraded.
Machida Zelvia
The club began life in 1989 as FC Machida. The town is known for producing players of talent and the club was formed with the aim of retaining some of that talent.
The team gained promotion to the J. League (Second Division) for the 2012 season but were relegated back to the Japan Football League (JFL) after just one season. The team became one of the original J3 clubs after finishing 4th in the 2014 JFL season and returned to J2 as 2015 runners-up under coach Naoki Soma in his second spell at the club.
Former managers have included Japan international defender Naoki Soma, Argentinian legend Ossie Ardiles and Serbian Ranko Popović. The current manager is Go Kuroda, a huge success as coach of Aomori Yamada High School before he took over at Machida Zelvia for the 2023 season. Kuroda's success at high school level continued in the professional game and Zelvia were promoted to J1 as champions in his first season in charge. Amazingly, Zelvia also topped J1 for a period in their first season in the top flight and beat Vissel Kobe 3-1 to lift the 2025 Emperor's Cup at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
Access - Getting There
Getting to the stadium is fairly straightforward from downtown Tokyo or Yokohama.
From Shinjuku Station, take the Odakyu Line to Tsurukawa Station and then a bus as detailed below. Total journey time is around an hour. From Yokohama Station take the JR Yokohama Line to JR Machida Station (about 35 minutes) and then a bus from nearby Odakyu Machida Station (as below).
Take the direct bus to Nozuta Park from bus stop number 5 at Tsurukawa Station on the Odakyu Line and get off at the last stop, Nozuta Park. (The bus only operates when FC Machida Zelvia have home games, and runs approximately every 10 minutes from two hours before kickoff).
Alternatively, take the Nozuta Bus Center bound bus from stop 21 at Odakyu Machida Station and get off at the last stop, Nozuta Bus Center. Then walk for 10 minutes.
2035 Nozutamachi, Machida City, 195-0063, Japan
Tel: 042 735 4511
Nearby Hotels
The ground is near enough to central Tokyo to stay there. Tokyo has a vast range of reasonable hotel and guesthouse options.
If you do wish to stay close to the stadium itself try Restay Onoji (Adults Only).
The pleasant, three-star Rembrandt Hotel Tokyo-Machida is close to Machida Station.
Machida City Sights
Machida has connections to Shinjuku on the Odakyu Line and Yokohama on the JR Yokohama Line.
Serigaya Park
Serigaya Park is a large green space less than 10 minutes on foot from Machida Station. There are several water features and the park is a popular cherry-blossom viewing spot in season.
Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts
Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts is located within Serigaya Park. It has a large collection of mainly contemporary Japanese prints and also hosts temporary exhibitions.
Buaiso
Buaiso (武相荘) is the preserved former home and gardens of post-war Japanese bureaucrat Jiro Shirasu (1902-1985). The traditional Japanese wooden house has a thatched roof and tatami flooring.
Photos by Japan-based journalist Sean Carroll - author of Between The Lines: Navigating The World of Japanese Football
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Tosu Stadium (Ekimae Real Estate Stadium)
Toyota Stadium Aichi Prefecture
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