Tokyo Dome, Domed multi-purpose stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Dome is a large indoor stadium in Bunkyo used for baseball, concerts and other events, featuring an air-supported roof structure made of white fabric material. The interior accommodates up to 55000 attendees for concerts or around 43500 for baseball games depending on the seating arrangement, with multiple tiers of stands surrounding the oval playing field.
The stadium opened on March 17, 1988, on the site of the former Velodrome after construction began in May 1985. Its completion marked the beginning of a new era for covered sports facilities in Japan and inspired similar projects throughout the country.
The dome is home to the Yomiuri Giants, who play about 70 games a year here. Its nickname "BIG EGG" was coined in 1986, when the name was chosen, and stands for "Big Entertainments & Golden Games". Hibari Misora's April 1988 "Phoenix" concert is often called the dome's inaugural concert, and KinKi Kids have performed the most solo concerts here, 71 days.
Access is straightforward via Korakuen Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line or Suidobashi Station on the JR Chuo Line, both a short walk away. During events, arriving early helps avoid crowding since the area fills quickly and entry points are located on different sides of the building.
The roof is an air-supported membrane kept inflated by blowers that maintain a pressure only 0.3% above the outside air; 36 fans run continuously, and the entrances use revolving doors and airlocks so the dome never deflates. The roof was first inflated on the morning of June 28, 1987, and has not been deflated since.
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