Hiroshima is rich in tourism resources, and among the professional sports in Japan, Hiroshima, with its many professional teams, is a dominant player. Among them, Sanfrecce Hiroshima Football Club has won the J-league championship three times, and this year a new special soccer stadium, "Hiroshima Stadium EDION Peace Wing," has been opened.
On November 24, 2012, Sanfrecce Hiroshima faced Sakura Osaka. Although the match was exciting, the ratio was 4.: there was no suspense. The closer we got to the whistle, the less calm the fans became, as the result was already determined. Instead, they got even noisier. The whistle blew. As Sanfrecce Hiroshima's superior broadcast blared through the venue, Shoujin Sato on the pitch smiled. at 30, he had finally won his first league title for himself and his club. This year, he also won the Golden Boot and the Golden Boot.MVP, Grand Slam, Best 11, Fair Play Award.
This title was just the beginning of a golden era for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who soared high, winning the league title again in 2013 and 2015, and accomplishing a generation of notable players such as Toshihito Sato, Toshihiro Aoyama, Kazuyuki Morisaki, Hiroshi Morisaki and Mori Bao'ichi, a coach who took the team to the top. Morihoichi was the first local player to coach in the top flight. Coaching is the pinnacle and becomes a strong resume for future coaches of the Blue Warriors.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima, winner of 3 championships in 4 years, welcomes the new "EDION Peace Wing Hiroshima Stadium".
But Sanfrecce Hiroshima, which has become a powerhouse in the J-League, is troubled over the pitch.
The previous home stadium "Hiroshima EDION Stadium" (エディオンスタジアム島) was a traditional land arena. A land arena means that in addition to the grass in the middle for grass sports such as soccer, there can also be a running track where various track and field events can be held. This is also the case for the National Arena in Japan, the National Stadium in Taiwan Province of China, and the Taipei Track and Field Stadium. For soccer spectators, a stadium with a running track is a serious detriment to watching the game. Almost all professional clubs use land arenas for their home matches. The dream of "Dedicated Soccer Stadium".
After the 2002 World Cup between Japan and South Korea, the mayor of Hiroshima announced his dream of building a new stadium, but due to financial shortages in Hiroshima, stadium siting, and other difficulties, the stadium plan didn't progress. With the end of the World Cup, it faded into oblivion. However, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the main user of the stadium, has never given up on the dream over the past 10 years. In addition to fighting on the field, the team ran around collecting petitions along with the team's campaign. Finally, they united with the championship and 370,000 citizens to reverse the stadium construction case once again.
It's not enough. We can't let our dreams vanish like fireworks. Sanfrecce Hiroshima fans endure a remote stadium with no roof. They enter and exit the stadium in traffic jams to watch the battle. For passionate fans, camping out for battles is no problem. However, the club is, after all, an entertainment business. If we can't welcome more family fans and ordinary fans with open arms, so that everyone can have a comfortable environment to watch the game, then we can't be the team for all citizens after all.
The demand for a new stadium can only be deafening if the team continues to win championships, and the revenues from winning championships improve the team's financial situation and become the backbone for building a dynasty. In 2016, after winning three championships in four years, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Hiroshima's municipal and business communities worked together to finalize the site for a new stadium, the "EDION Peace Wing Hiroshima Stadium," which will eventually begin construction in 2021 and be completed in December 2023, and the construction of a new stadium will be completed in December 2023. Construction will begin in 2021 and be completed by December 2023.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima's official Youtube special movie of the new stadium
"Conveniently located in the center of Hiroshima City, the Hiroshima Stadium EDION Wings of Peace is within a 10-minute walk of three nearby stations, and close to Hiroshima's famous sightseeing spots Hiroshima Castle and the Hara Bombing Museum, and is equipped with first-class stadium facilities. 28,520 spectator seats and all four sides of the grandstand are covered with roofs. The nearest seat is only 8 meters away from the stadium. It has a great sense of liveliness. The 9x32 meter screen above the stadium is the largest of its kind in a Japanese stadium. It is responsible for the construction of the stadium and the construction of the home field of the Japanese Toho Olympics. In their opinion, the new Hiroshima Stadium was even more difficult. The roofing work took up 10 months of the 23-month construction period. During the construction, 180,000 workers were mobilized and 700 people participated in the biggest day. The roof was a highlight. The construction of the tension beam structure and the visual combination of the three arrows of Hiroshima with the concept of "three arrows" made the upper edge of the roof look like a bow, with two bundles of three arrows on the string ingeniously.
