Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Rugby stadium in Higashiōsaka, Japan
Hanazono Rugby Stadium is a modern sports facility in Higashiosaka with natural turf and electronic scoreboards designed for professional matches and tournaments. The stands accommodate approximately 30,000 spectators during competitive events.
The stadium opened on 22 November 1929 as Hanazono Rugby Ground, built by the Osaka Electric Tramway (Daiki), the predecessor of Kintetsu, after Prince Chichibu suggested a dedicated rugby ground during a 1928 train conversation. Kintetsu owned it for decades and renamed it Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium in 1980. The city of Higashiosaka took ownership in April 2015 and renamed it Higashiosaka City Hanazono Rugby Stadium. The current main stand dates from a 1991 rebuild and a large-scale renovation completed in 2018 for the Rugby World Cup.
The national high school tournament has been held here since 1963, and the event is commonly called simply "Hanazono". During the tournament the whole grounds are fenced off, and one ticket lets spectators move between the first, second and third pitches. The stadium shop sells rugby goods, and a room in the main stand displays rugby history.
The stadium sits inside Hanazono Central Park, with the main stand on the west side facing Mount Ikoma; the ground floor holds a rugby goods shop and a room of rugby exhibits, and a second-floor restaurant is open to general visitors. During the National High School Rugby Tournament the whole site is fenced and one ticket covers every ground. The north side stand has no seats at the corners, so the stand shape is asymmetric.
The main stand's first floor holds a small room exhibiting rugby history, alongside a shop selling rugby goods; a restaurant on the second floor is open to general visitors, not only ticket holders. The main stand faces Mount Ikoma.
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