Japan Stadiums: Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture
Sapporo Dome (札幌ドーム) is located in Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido. It is the home ground of Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the J.League. Until the end of the 2022, the stadium was also home to Japanese professional baseball (NPB) team Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The stadium is owned by the City of Sapporo.
The ground is a unique stadium in Japan as its grass soccer surface slides into the stadium from outside. The baseball field is an artificial surface within the stadium itself. The structure was designed by Hiroshi Hara who was also responsible for the massive Kyoto Station Building as well as Umeda Sky Building in Osaka.
History & Capacity
The stadium was built for the 2002 World Cup with a capacity of 41,580, though for J.League games the capacity is now 41,484.
Altogether the stadium hosted three games at World Cup 2002 including England's 1-0 win against Argentina in the David Beckham "Foot of God" game. The deciding goal was a Beckham penalty after Michael Owen fell over the outstretched leg of Mauricio Pochettino.
The other World Cup 2002 games at Sapporo Dome were also first round games. They were Germany v Saudi Arabia and Italy v Ecuador.
The Club: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo joined the J.League first division in 1998 and were relegated in their first season. They returned to J1 in 2000 but were relegated to J2 again in 2002. The club has suffered from financial difficulties over the years and as a result has yo-yoed between the top two divisions. Indeed Consadole are J1's most relegated side, though through 2023 the team have spent seven consecutive seasons in the Japanese top flight. Honours are few and far between though 'Consa' have been J2 champions on four occasions in the J.League era since 1993.
Managers
Previous managers have included ex-national team coach Takeshi Okada, Tetsuji Hashiratani, Brazilian João Carlos, Toshiya Miura and Shuhei Yomoda. The present coach is Serb Mihailo Petrović.
Former players have included Englishman Jay Bothroyd, who finished his career at the club, Brazil's Hulk, who scored 25 goals in 38 appearances for the club on loan from Kawasaki Frontale, Hugo Maradona, brother of Diego, and Thailand's Chanathip Songkrasin, now back in Thailand.
The stadium has also hosted skiing events and is a venue for music concerts.
The high rental fees at Sapporo Dome drove the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters baseball team to seek a new home and they have now relocated to Es Con Field Hokkaido (エスコンフィールド北海道) south east of downtown Sapporo. MLB superstars Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani both once played for the team.
Access - Getting There
The ground is a 10 minute walk from Fukuzumi Station on the Toho Line of the Sapporo metro. Fukuzumi Station is 14 minutes and 7 stops from Sapporo Station.
Several bus services stop close to the stadium including limousine buses to Chitose Airport.
Sapporo is connected by air, rail and also sea (to nearby Otaru) from the rest of Japan. There are direct flights to Sapporo's Chitose Airport from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Naha and other major cities in Japan.
The Hokkaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Hokkaido via Aomori and the Seikan Tunnel to Hakodate. It is due to reach Sapporo by 2030. Presently passengers must change trains in Hakodate to continue their journey to Sapporo.
Address: 062-0045, 1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Nearby Hotels
Sapporo, the prefectural capital and largest city in Hokkaido, offers an extensive range of hotels and other accommodation options to suit most budgets.
Susukino is the entertainments quarter of Sapporo with a vibrant nightlife. The district is packed with bars, cafes, pubs and many hotels.
Some recommendations include Sapporo Grand Hotel, a 5-star property with several restaurants, shopping arcade and spa.
The HOTEL MYSTAYS Sapporo Station is a 3-star business hotel, a short walk from Sapporo Station.
Travelodge Sapporo Susukino offers a buffet breakfast and free WiFi.
More J.League Stadiums
Sanga Stadium by Kyocera Kyoto
Tosu Stadium (Ekimae Real Estate Stadium)
Toyota Stadium Aichi Prefecture
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