is a small athletic and

multi-purpose stadium A multi-purpose stadium is a type of stadium designed to be easily used by multiple types of events. While any stadium could potentially host more than one type of sport or event, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy tha ...

(capacity 10,202), opened in 1990 at Honjō Park in Ohiraki, Yahata Nishi-ku,

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuku ...

Fukuoka prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Association football

It was the designated home stadium for

Giravanz Kitakyushu is a Japanese football club based in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. They currently play in the third tier of Japanese football as they were relegated after the 2021 season. History Mitsubishi Chemical SC (1947 –2000) The club was formed ...

(formerly known as New Wave Kitakyushu until 2009 season), an

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

club promoted to

J. League The , officially is Japan's professional football league including the first division J1 League, second division J2 League and third division J3 League of the Japanese association football league system. J1 League is one of the most succe ...

from 2010 season to 2016 season. It underwent a major renovation which lasted until 2010 to install benches on the grass-covered spectator area to meet the minimum requirements of 10,000-seatings which J. League organization requires all J2 clubs to have their own stadia. Now its capacity is 10,202.

Rugby

It was the venue for

versus

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

in the inaugural

IRB Pacific 5 Nations The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between three Pacific states: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The 2019 edition of the tournament will also include the national teams of Canada, Japan and United States. First held ...

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

tournament on June 4, 2006. The game celebrated the recent opening on March 16, 2006, of the

New Kitakyushu Airport , sometimes called Kokuraminami Airport, is an airport in Kokuraminami-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan. It is built on an artificial island in the western Seto Inland Sea, away from the main body of the city. It opened on 16 March 2006, as but ...

and was the first test match to be played in

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

in 22 years. Some 8,100 spectators saw the game in a nearly full stadium. Together with Sayagatani stadium in Tobata ward, Honjo stadium hosted the All Japan rugby clubs championship on January 13 and 14, 2008. On December 5, 2009, the first

Top League Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the ...

game ever held in Kitakyushu was played here. Coca-Cola West Red Sparks beat

Ricoh Black Rams Black Rams Tokyo (formerly Ricoh Black Rams) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Placed 10th in the 2004-2005 season which meant it had to win a play-off against one of the top regional teams to stay in the league, as it d ...

29-22.

Access

The nearest railway station is Honjō Station and

Futajima Station is a railway station on the Kyūshū Railway Company (JR Kyūshū) Chikuhō Main Line (also known as the Wakamatsu Line) in Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Station layout History The station opened in 1899. Histo ...

on the

Chikuhō Main Line The is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Wakamatsu Station in Kitakyushu with Haruda Station in Chikushino. Between Orio Station and Haruda Station, as well as from Keisen S ...

, 15 minutes walk away. The Kitakyushu City Buses line No. 30 from

Orio Station is a railway station in Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Japan, operated by the JR Kyushu. Lines Orio Station is served by the Kagoshima Main Line and Chikuho Main Line. Station layout The two lines serving the station intersect at Orio, and the ...

takes about ten minutes to the stadium and costs 230 yen. Kitakyushu City Buses runs shuttle buses between the stadium and Orio Station when Giravanz plays home games.

References

External links

Honjo Athletic Stadium
- photos on the Kitakyushu Film Commission site (promoting possible venues for movies) {{DEFAULTSORT:Honjo Stadium Football venues in Japan Rugby union stadiums in Japan Rugby in Kyushu Buildings and structures in Kitakyushu Athletics (track and field) venues in Japan Multi-purpose stadiums in Japan Giravanz Kitakyushu Sports venues in Fukuoka Prefecture 1990 establishments in Japan Sports venues completed in 1990

Association football

Rugby

Access

See also

References

External links