Okinawa Arena

The Okinawa Arena, also provisionally known as the Okinawa City Multi-Purpose Arena,^[1] is an indoor arena ^[2] in Okinawa, Japan. It was opened in 2021 and is one of the venues of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Okinawa Arena

Okinawa Arena Location within Okinawa Prefecture Show map of Okinawa Prefecture Okinawa Arena Okinawa Arena (Japan) Show map of Japan
Full name	Okinawa City Multi-Purpose Arena
Location	Okinawa, Japan
Coordinates	26°19′58″N 127°47′01.1″E
Capacity	10,000
Scoreboard	510-inch display
Tenants
Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.League) (2020–present)
Building details
General information
Status	Completed
Groundbreaking	September 25, 2018
Estimated completion	March 2021
Cost	¥17 billion
Technical details
Floor count	6
Floor area	26,200 m2 (282,000 sq ft)
Other information
Seating capacity	10,000
Website
www.okinawa-arena.jp

Background

Plans to build the Okinawa arena were made as early as 2015.^[3] In 2016, it was announced that the sports venue will be built over the site occupied by the Okinawa City bullfighting ring next to the Koza Sports Park. Sachiyo Kuwae, the city mayor, unveiled the master plan for the 10,000-person-capacity multipurpose arena on 12 July 2016.^[4] The facility will have five stories above ground^[5] and will have a parking area for 1,000 vehicles.^[4]

The Okinawa Arena will have a total area of 26,200 m² (282,000 sq ft). Its estimated total cost, including its parking facilities, is 17 billion yen.^[5]

Demolition of the bullfighting ring was planned to commence in 2017 and was followed by the construction of the arena building itself.^[3] The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 25, 2018 and is planned to open by September 2020.^[6]

Use

Interior during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

The Okinawa Arena is the home venue of the Ryukyu Golden Kings professional basketball team and is also set to host major events in Okinawa City.^[4]

It is Japan's sole venue in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which it co-hosts with the Philippines and Indonesia.^[7]

References

1. "（仮称）沖縄市多目的アリーナ施設等整備全体計画調査業務報告書". Okinawa City Government. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
2. "(仮称)沖縄市多目的アリーナ建設工事 起工式開催のご報告". 25 September 2018.
3. "Okinawa Arena Leaflet : 事業スケジュール（予定）" (PDF) (in Japanese). Okinawa City Government. p. 2. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
4. "Multipurpose arena plan for Okinawa City unveiled". Japan Update. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
5. "沖縄市アリーナ計画、総工費170億円 1万人規模で算定" [Planned Okinawa City Arena, is estimated to cost 17 billion yen and has a capacity of 10,000 people]. Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 16 September 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
6. "(仮称)沖縄市多目的アリーナ建設工事 起工式開催のご報告". Ryukyu Golden Kings (in Japanese). 25 September 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
7. "2023年バスケW杯、予選ラウンド開催地に沖縄市が名乗り 1万人アリーナ評価" [Okinawa City's 10,000 capacity arena will be evaluated as a potential venue for the preliminary round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.]. Okinawa Times. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)