Yodoko Sakura Stadium Guide Osaka

Japan Stadiums: Yodoko Sakura Stadium Guide Osaka

Yodoko Sakura Stadium, Osaka, Japan. — Yodoko Sakura Stadium (aka Nagai Ballgame Field and previously Kincho Stadium), Osaka

Yodoko Sakura Stadium in Osaka (ヨドコウ桜スタジアム) is the more usual home ground of J.League club Cerezo Osaka, rather than the much larger and adjacent Nagai Stadium, which is more commonly used for prestige friendlies and matches against the bigger J.League sides and so-called 'Osaka derbies' with Cerezo's crosstown rivals Gamba.

For sponsorship reasons the stadium was first known as Kincho Stadium and is now Yodoko Sakura Stadium.

Like Nagai Stadium, Yodoko Sakura is also used for rugby matches by NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka. The stadium is owned and operated by Osaka city and lies within the large Nagai Park.

The playing surface is one of the best of all the stadiums in the J.League. The natural grass playing surface measures a fairly standard 105 by 68 meters without a running track. An LED electronic scoreboard is installed in the south stand.

Stadium tours are available and parts of the complex can be rented for other events such as yoga. See sakura-stadium.jp

Nagai Stadium Osaka. — Nagai Stadium on the right and Yodoko Sakura Stadium on the left

History & Capacity

The 24,481-capacity stadium opened in 1987 initially with artificial turf. Cerezo became tenants in 2010 playing home games at the ground until 2018. The club moved back in again in 2021 after a major renovation.

Club History: Cerezo Osaka

Cerezo as a club began in 1957 as a company team - Yanmar Diesel. They entered J1 under their new name in 1995. Although Cerezo have been relegated three times from J1 to J2 they have won an Emperor's Cup and J.League Cup both in the 2017 season. They also led the league for a period in that season.

Former Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa now wears the club's pink shirt. Another former Red to play for the club was Diego Forlan between 2014 and 2015, scoring 17 goals in 42 appearances.

Scoreboard and away supporters. — Scoreboard and away supporters

Access - Getting There

The ground is a 5-minute walk from both Tsurugaoka Station on the JR Hanwa Line and Nagai Station on the Midosuji Line of the Osaka subway network.

Various buses also stop at Nagai Koen (Nagai Park).

Address: 1-1 Nagai-Koen, Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka 546-0034 (546-0034 大阪府大阪市東住吉区長居公園1-1)

The nearest subway station is Nagai on the north-south Midosuji Line. — The nearest subway station is Nagai on the north-south Midosuji Line

Nearby Hotels

Japan's second city offers several recommended hotels if you are spending time in the Kansai area of western Japan.

Some recommendations include the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel, a 5-star property within Japan's tallest skyscraper, Abeno Harukas in the nearby Tennoji/Abeno district.

The Yoshiya Hotel is no-frills, 3-star business hotel, southwest of Tennoji Station.

The 2-star Yamato by Doyanen provides fairly basic accommodation in the once, rather seedy Nishinaru-ku as does the rather unfortunately-named, 1-star Hotel Beaver 2.