Nippon Budokan

Nippon Budokan (日本武道館, Nippon Budōkan), often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in central Tokyo, Japan.

The Budokan was the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded, including those of Bob Dylan, Cheap Trick, Dream Theater and Ozzy Osbourne. The Nippon Budokan, however, was originally built for the judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics, hence its name, rendered in English as Martial Arts Hall.

Location

The Nippon Budokan is located in Kitanomaru Park in the center of Tokyo, two minutes' walking distance from Kudanshita Subway Station, and near Yasukuni Shrine. This 42 m (140 ft) high imposing octagonal structure holds 14,471 people (arena seats: 2,946, 1st floor seats: 3,199, 2nd floor seats: 7,846, standee: 480). The building is modeled after Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) in Hōryū-ji in Nara.

Venue history

Martial arts

Though it still functions as a venue for big musical events, its primary purpose is for Japanese martial arts (indeed, the name literally means "Japan Martial Arts Hall"). The national championships of the different branches of the martial arts (judo, kendo, karate, aikido, shorinji kempo, kyūdō, naginata, etc.) are held annually at the Budokan. For wrestling fans the Budokan means professional wrestling's big shows. Now, the Budokan is mostly used by Pro Wrestling Noah, who often hold major events there.