Sapporo Dome

Overview

Sapporo Dome is a 41,000-seat enclosed stadium that hosted three group matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Its engineering innovation — a 'hovering soccer stage' that moves the natural grass pitch in and out of the dome — allows year-round use for football and baseball. The venue offers guided dome tours when no events are scheduled.

Highlights

• Hovering Soccer Stage: The world's first retractable natural-grass pitch, which moves at 4 cm/second.
• Dome Tour: Behind-the-scenes access to locker rooms, press boxes, and the pitch-side area.
• 2002 World Cup Heritage: The stadium hosted matches including Germany vs. Saudi Arabia.

History

Designed by architect Hiroshi Hara and completed in 2001, Sapporo Dome was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. It served as the home of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (baseball) until 2023 and remains a venue for Consadole Sapporo (football) and major concerts.

Visitor Tips

• Tip 1: Check the event schedule — the dome tour does not run on game/event days.
• Tip 2: The dome is a 10-minute walk from Fukuzumi Station on the Toho subway line.
• Duration: 45–70 minutes (tour).