Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium

Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium is a rugby venue with 16,187 seats built on the former site of schools destroyed during the 2011 tsunami. The facility combines modern sports infrastructure with the region's recovery efforts.

The stadium opened in August 2018, marking a major milestone in Kamaishi's recovery after the tsunami. It hosted international rugby matches during the 2019 World Cup.

The stadium reflects the city's deep connection to rugby, rooted in the success of the Nippon Steel Kamaishi club during the 1970s and 1980s. Visitors feel this local passion when crowds gather for matches at this venue.

The venue has 6,000 permanent seats made from Japanese cedar and connects to nearby Unosumai Station on the JR East Yamada Line. Access from the renovated station to the stadium is straightforward.

During construction, local residents engaged in heated debate over spending 3 billion yen on the stadium while many tsunami survivors still lived in temporary housing. This discussion reflected tensions between larger reconstruction and immediate needs.

Location: Unosumaichō

Inception: April 2017

Architects: Azusa Sekkei

Official opening: August 19, 2018

Capacity: 6000

Address: 5-1 dai 18 Chiwari, Unosumai-cho, Kamaishi, Iwate 026-0301

Website: https://kamaishi-stadium.jp

GPS coordinates: 39.32778,141.89222

Latest update: December 7, 2025 19:23