Wing Stadium Kobe, Football and rugby stadium in Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Japan
Wing Stadium Kobe is a football and rugby stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, with a retractable roof and a capacity of 30,132. The main stand has two tiers, while the side and back stands have one; all seats have backrests and cup holders. The pitch is natural grass with artificial turf in the in-goal areas, and the roof consists of four movable panels stored over the side stands.
The stadium opened in 1970 as Kobe Central Football Stadium on the site of the former Kobe Keirin velodrome, with Japan's first floodlights for night football. It was rebuilt for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, reopening in November 2001 as Kobe Wing Stadium with 42,000 seats; temporary stands were removed in 2003. It hosted four group matches of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the first held in Asia.
The nickname "Wing Stadium" comes from the four-panel retractable roof, whose sections are stored over the side stands when open. Since 2013 the naming rights belong to the Kobe cosmetics firm Noevir, so the ground is called Noevir Stadium Kobe, shortened to "Noesta". Vissel Kobe and INAC Kobe Leonessa use the south stand as their home end.
The stadium stands in Misaki Park in Hyogo-ku, not Suma-ku; the nearest station is Misaki-koen on the Kaigan subway line. The retractable roof is usually closed in rain, and the pitch-side seats sit only six metres from the touchline. Allow extra time at the gates on match days.
The roof structures were designed to provide shade without fully covering the playing surface, allowing natural light to reach the grass for healthy growth. This architectural solution enables the venue to maintain optimal playing conditions without artificial lighting during daytime hours.
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