Yokohama Arena
Encyclopedia
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden
in New York City
. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station
on the JR/Yokohama Municipal Subway
.
The first WWE SmackDown world tour was held here. The "10th Anniversary Show" for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
was held in this arena in 1999, in which both the arena and FMW were the same exact age.
As one of the largest concert venues in the Kantō region
, it is a frequent location for artists to end their tours. The spacious stage allows for more complex set design and lighting, but the reasonable size makes it easier to sell out than the Tokyo Dome
.
Japanese-American singer-songwriter
Hikaru Utada performed in Yokohama Arena on December 8-9 2010, for her last concert before her indefinite hiatus, titled "WILD LIFE
". The concert was filmed and broadcast across cinemas in Japan, and also streamed on Ustream
for international fans to view it.
Popular Japanese Idol
group Morning Musume
performed there on December 15, 2010 for the last date of their Rival Survival concert tour. This performance was also the graduation concert of 6th generation member Eri Kamei
and 8th generation members Junjun and Linlin.
South Korean boy band
Super Junior
also performed recently for the first time in the Yokohama Arena on February 18th, 19th and 20th 2011, for the Japanese leg of their third Asian tour, Super Show 3.
, Yokohama played host as an emergency shelter for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Citizens were allowed the stay the night, and were offered blankets and other amenities.
Hideharu Terada, a Yokohama Arena official stated "There has never been a big earthquake like this. [...] People are trickling in. They are all calm."
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station
Shin-Yokohama Station
is a train station in Yokohama, Japan. It is serves the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Yokohama Line, and Yokohama Municipal Subway Line 3.-History:Shin-Yokohama Station was opened on October 1, 1964 as part of the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen...
on the JR/Yokohama Municipal Subway
Yokohama Municipal Subway
is the metro network in the city of Yokohama, Japan, south of Tokyo In Kanagawa pref. It is operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau, and is operated as two lines, though 3 continuous lines exist.-Lines:Line 1 and 3 are operated as a single line...
.
The first WWE SmackDown world tour was held here. The "10th Anniversary Show" for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...
was held in this arena in 1999, in which both the arena and FMW were the same exact age.
As one of the largest concert venues in the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
, it is a frequent location for artists to end their tours. The spacious stage allows for more complex set design and lighting, but the reasonable size makes it easier to sell out than the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
.
Japanese-American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Hikaru Utada performed in Yokohama Arena on December 8-9 2010, for her last concert before her indefinite hiatus, titled "WILD LIFE
Wild Life (concert)
WILD LIFE was Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada's final concert tour before her scheduled hiatus from 2011. Performing only two dates at the Yokohama Arena, Japan on December 8 and 9 2010.-Set list:-Tickets:...
". The concert was filmed and broadcast across cinemas in Japan, and also streamed on Ustream
Ustream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
for international fans to view it.
Popular Japanese Idol
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
group Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
performed there on December 15, 2010 for the last date of their Rival Survival concert tour. This performance was also the graduation concert of 6th generation member Eri Kamei
Eri Kamei
was a member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined in late 2003 as a sixth generation member along with Miki Fujimoto, Sayumi Michishige, and Reina Tanaka. She graduated on December 15, 2010 in Yokohama Arena along with Junjun and Linlin....
and 8th generation members Junjun and Linlin.
South Korean boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Super Junior
Super Junior
Super Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
also performed recently for the first time in the Yokohama Arena on February 18th, 19th and 20th 2011, for the Japanese leg of their third Asian tour, Super Show 3.
2011 Tōhoku Earthquake/Tsunami Relief
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and resulting tsunamiTsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, Yokohama played host as an emergency shelter for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Citizens were allowed the stay the night, and were offered blankets and other amenities.
Hideharu Terada, a Yokohama Arena official stated "There has never been a big earthquake like this. [...] People are trickling in. They are all calm."