J-VILLAGE Stadium, Football stadium in Hirono and Naraha, Japan.
J-Village Stadium is a national football training center spread across Hirono and Naraha, featuring multiple grass pitches, indoor facilities, accommodation blocks, and meeting rooms. The site is built around the needs of athletes in training and can host entire teams for extended stays.
The center opened in 1997 as Japan's first dedicated national football facility, built in the lead-up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. After serving as an emergency base following the 2011 nuclear disaster at the nearby Fukushima plant, it was restored and reopened in 2019.
J-Village is closely tied to Japanese football and is seen as a symbol of the country's rise in the sport during the 1990s. The national team trained here for years, and that history is still felt when walking around the grounds today.
The grounds are large, so wearing comfortable shoes and allowing extra time to walk between areas makes the visit easier. On-site accommodation is available, which is useful for groups or anyone planning a stay of more than a day.
The Olympic torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Games started from this site, making it one of the first places associated with those Games. That choice was also a deliberate gesture to mark the recovery of the region following the 2011 disaster.
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