The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an

indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

located in

Chiyoda, Tokyo is a special ward located in central Tokyo, Japan. It is known as Chiyoda City in English.Profile< ...

, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

competition in the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts contests, the arena has gained additional fame as one of the world's most outstanding musical performance venues. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wrestling for a time, and it has hosted numerous other sporting events such as the

1967 Women's Volleyball World Championship The 1967 FIVB Women's World Championship was the fifth edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, the FIVB. It was held from 25 to 29 January 1967 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Background Since its inaugural edi ...

. Most recently, the arena hosted the Olympic debut of

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

in the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

, as well as the judo competition at both the 2020 Summer Olympics and the

2020 Summer Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralym ...

. A number of famous

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

acts have played at the Budokan.

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

were the first rock group to play there in a series of concerts held between June 30 and July 2, 1966.

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

ended their last tour and final live performance there in March of 1980. Numerous acts have recorded live albums at the Budokan, including Blur, Bryan Adams,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...

CNBLUE CNBLUE ( ko, 씨엔블루) is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, guitar, keyboard, rap), Kang Min-hyuk ( drums), and Lee Jung-shin ( bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the ...

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, Mr. Big,

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

, Journey,

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...

MSG Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer wi ...

, and

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

Location

The Nippon Budokan is located in

Kitanomaru Park is a public park in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan located north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The park is the location of both the Nippon Budokan, an indoor sports and performance venue, the Science Museum, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. ...

in the center of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, two minutes' walking distance from Kudanshita Subway Station, and near the Imperial Palace and

Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...

. The 42 m (140 ft) high

octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...

al structure holds 14,471 people (arena seats: 2,946, 1st floor seats: 3,199, 2nd floor seats: 7,846, standee: 480). The building is modeled after Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) in Hōryū-ji in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

Venue history

Martial arts

57e Championnats du Japon (3 nov 2009) 2

2012 JKA Adult All-Japan Tournament Day 2

Although the Budokan also functions as a venue for big musical events, its primary purpose is for Japanese

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

. The national championships of the different branches of major martial arts (

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...

, aikido, etc.) are held annually at the Budokan. The Budokan has also been associated with

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

's big shows, typically from

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...

and

Pro Wrestling Noah (stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...

. However, due to declining audiences following the death of Mitsuharu Misawa and the retirement of Kenta Kobashi, professional wrestling has ceased running regular shows in the Budokan. During

Wrestle Kingdom 12 Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2018, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the 27th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show, which is NJPW's ...

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...

announced that its yearly G1 Climax tournament's finals would be held at the Budokan. The

Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki, billed as The War of the Worlds, was a fight between American professional boxer Muhammad Ali and Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, held at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo, Japan, on June 26, 1976. A ...

hybrid rules fight held at the Budokan in 1976 is seen as a forerunner to

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...

, Shooto and

Pride Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

have all held events at the arena.

Music

were the first rock group to perform at the Budokan in a series of five shows held between June 30 and July 2, 1966. Their appearances were met with opposition from those who felt the appearance of a western pop group would defile the martial arts arena. In July 1973, Japanese television recorded the

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

performance at the Budokan. The Budokan gained worldwide fame when American artists

and

used the arena to record their performances, ''

Cheap Trick at Budokan ''Cheap Trick at Budokan'' is the first live album by American rock band Cheap Trick, and their best-selling recording. It was first released in Japan on October 8, 1978, and later released in the United States on February 1979, through Epic Reco ...

'' (1978) and ''

Bob Dylan at Budokan ''Bob Dylan at Budokan'' is a live album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released August 1978 on Columbia Records in Japan only, followed by a worldwide release in April 1979. It was recorded during his 1978 world tour and is composed mos ...

'' (1979). The venue is popular for recording live albums because it has good acoustics, is relatively large and Japanese audiences are known for being highly appreciative when appropriate but quiet during performances.

described the Tokyo audience as "almost overappreciative" in interviews promoting '' Just One Night'' (1980), his own live album recorded at the Budokan. American

crossover thrash Crossover thrash (often abbreviated to crossover) is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk. Other genres on the same continuum, such as metalcore and grindcore, ma ...

band Stormtroopers of Death released a live album titled '' Live at Budokan'' (1992), though the title was in jest and the album was recorded at famed New York City venue The Ritz. The original Beatles concert is heavily bootlegged on audio and video; the first night's concert video was officially released by Apple Records in Japan only as ''Beatles Concert at Budokan 1966'', and excerpts are shown in ''

The Beatles Anthology ''The Beatles Anthology'' is a multimedia retrospective project consisting of a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison and R ...

'', while the second ''Anthology'' album included the first show's performances of "

Rock and Roll Music Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

" and "

She's A Woman "She's a Woman" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single in November 1964 as the B-side to "I Feel Fine", except in North Amer ...

". The venue is one of the stages in '' The Beatles: Rock Band'' video game.

Chatmonchy was a three-piece all-female rock band which consisted of Eriko Hashimoto (guitar, vocals), Akiko Fukuoka (bass, chorus), and formerly Kumiko Takahashi (drums, chorus) who are from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan. Since 20 ...

currently holds the record for the largest crowd at the Budokan. The record for the most Budokan music concerts is held by Eikichi Yazawa, 142 times as of December 19, 2017. Artists that have released live recordings from the venue include:

1970s

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

; September 23 and 24, 1971 and October 2 and 3, 1972. *

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

; June 8, 1972. * Uriah Heep; 1973, (Live concert filmed on 16mm for television. DVD versions available) *

; 1972; for the last of the three concerts making up their '' Made in Japan'' live album. * The Moody Blues; January 18, 1974 * The Carpenters; June 7–9, 1974; '' Live in Japan'' * Focus; June 20, 1975 *

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

; 1975, 1976, and 1979. * Rainbow; December 16, 1976; '' On Stage'' Rainbow performed here both afternoon and evening shows at 3:00 pm and 6:00 p.m. *

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

; 1977 (Jan-Feb); see the Japanese bootleg CD ''Rocks Budokan'' (label Calm&Storm). *

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

; December 5, 1977 and February 3, 4th and 5, 1980 *

Bay City Rollers The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beat ...

; 1977; released as ''Rollerworld: Live at the Budokan 1977'' in 2001. * Pink Lady; 1977 (''

Bye Bye Carnival is the third Album#Live, live album by Japanese idol duo Pink Lady (duo), Pink Lady. Recorded live during their Christmas concert at the Nippon Budokan on December 27, 1977, the album was released on March 5, 1978. The album peaked at No. 5 on O ...

'') and 1979 ('' Live in Budoukan''). *

; 1977 and 1978. *

; April 27, 28 and 30, 1978; ''

'' (and the later-released 1998 album '' at Budokan: The Complete Concert).'' * Ian Gillan Band; 1977–1978; '' Live at the Budokan'' (Vols. 1–2). *

; December 1979; '' Just One Night''. *

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

; 1977; "An Evening with Diana Ross" concert was videotaped during her 1977 tour. *

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

; 1977 "An Evening with Julie Andrews" concert was part of a highly acclaimed sold out national tour of Japan by Julie Andrews * Eikichi Yazawa; 1977; ''Super Live Nippon Budokan'', recorded his Budokan concerts of 1977. *

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...

; 1979 "The Men Who Make the Music" Japanese TV broadcast. A clip of "Red Eye Express" from this show is included in ''

The Men Who Make The Music ''The Men Who Make the Music'' was the first home video released by the American new wave band Devo. Finished in 1979, the film was set to be the first Video LP under the title "DevoVision" (advertised in the inner sleeve of the "Duty Now for the ...

'' home video. *

Gregg Allman Band The Gregg Allman Band, also known as Gregg Allman & Friends, was a Southern rock/ blues rock group that Gregg Allman established and had led since the 1970s, during periods when Allman has been recording and performing separate from the Allman B ...

and

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

; June 29, 1977 *

; 1979; ''

'', recorded during his 1978 world tour. *

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical a ...

; 1978. * Earth, Wind & Fire; 1979. *

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

; 1979

1980s

* Sadao Watanabe; 1980; ''How's Everything''. *

; 1980; * Momoe Yamaguchi; 1980; ''Budokan at Last'' *

Yellow Magic Orchestra Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is conside ...

; 1980; ''Live at Budokan 1980'', recorded 1980, released 1993. *

Masayoshi Takanaka is a Japanese guitarist, composer, and producer. He was born in 1953 in the Shinagawa ward in Tokyo, Japan. Takanaka's music was influential in the city pop genre of the late 1970s and '80s. Early life Takanaka was born to a Chinese fathe ...

; 1981; ''Rainbow Goblins Story / Live At Budokan'', released 1986 * Queen; 1981; " The Game Tour". 1985; "

The Works Tour The Works Tour was the tenth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen to promote their successful 1984 album '' The Works''. During the tour, Queen participated in the Rock in Rio festival in 1985; the concert was released on VHS. ...

". *

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...

; 1981; ''Budokan Radio On'', released 1988. *

Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenke ...

; 1981; ''

One Night at Budokan ''One Night at Budokan'' is a live album by Michael Schenker Group released in 1982. This album was recorded at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan as part of their 1981 tour. Track listing 1982 original LP All songs written by Michael Schenker an ...

'', released in 1982, deluxe edition released in 2009 *

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

, 1981 * Quincy Jones; 1981; ''Quincy Jones Live at the Budokan''. * Journey; 1982; "Escape Tour". 1983; "Frontiers Tour". *

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

; 1982; * Kitarō; 1982; ''Live at Budokan''. * Toto; 1982; ''Live at Budokan 1982, Toto IV Tour''. *

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 ...

; 1982; ''Live from the Budokan 1982, Final Tour (Some songs included Yellow Magic Orchestra members Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto)''. * Spinal Tap; 1982; "Smell The Glove Tour". * Dave Grusin; 1983;

Dave Grusin and the NY-LA Dream Band ''Dave Grusin and the NY-LA Dream Band'' is an album by American pianist Dave Grusin released in 1984, recorded for the GRP label. The album was recorded live in Tokyo, Japan, at Nippon Budokan, Budokan. The album reached No. 4 on Billboard (magaz ...

Grover Washington Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

Pieces of A Dream Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * Pieces (video game), ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game f ...

; 1983; Aurex Jazz Festival *

; 1982; ''

''. *

; 1983; ''Live at Budokan'', ''Asia in Asia''. * Willie Nelson; 1984, February 23rd, Live At Budokan *

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...

; 1984; ''

We Want Moore! ''We Want Moore!'' is a live albumm by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in October 1984. Track listing Personnel *Gary Moore – lead vocals, lead guitar, producer, backing vocals on 2 * Neil Carter – keyboards, rhythm guit ...

'' during the Victims of the Future tour in 1984, remastered 2002 (Budokan was one of the 4 or 5 different venues where this album was recorded) *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

; 1985; ''Live at the Budokan Hall, Tokyo'' *

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

; 1985;

The No Jacket Required World Tour The No Jacket Required World Tour was a concert tour by the English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins, which occurred February–July 1985 in support of his 1985 album, ''No Jacket Required''. The album had been a massive international ...

* Corey Hart; 1985 *

Momoko Kikuchi is a Japanese actress, entertainer, singer, and scholar who was formerly represented by the talent agency, Parfit Production. On June 22, 2020, Kikuchi announced that she has left Parfit Production and gone independent. Her ex-husband is profes ...

; 1985; "Advanced Domestic Tour Budokan" *

; 1986; "Fuel for Life Tour" *

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

; 1987, "Somewhere on tour" *

Dead or Alive Dead or Alive most commonly refers to: * Dead or Alive (band), a British pop band * Dead or alive, a phrase on a wanted poster Dead or Alive may also refer to: Film and television * ''Dead or Alive'' (1921 film), an American silent film dir ...

; 1987 video ''Rip It Up Live'' (VHS/Laserdisc) *

; March 2 & 3, 1988; " A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour" *

; 1988; "Crazy Nights Tour" *

Miho Nakayama is a Japanese singer and actress. She is affiliated with Big Apple Co., Ltd. Nakayama is nicknamed , and sometimes uses the pseudonyms or when she writes the lyrics. Biography History Nakayama was born in Saku, Nagano, Japan. Following her ...

; May 11, 1989; ''Whuu!! Natural Live at Budokan '89'' *

Stryper Stryper is an American Christian metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass guitar), and Robert Sweet (drums). Formed in 1983 as Roxx ...

1989; "In God We Trust tour

1990s

* X Japan; 1990; Rose & Blood Tour * Seiko Matsuda - Precious Moment ~1990 Live at Budokan~ * X Japan; 1991 *

Loudness In acoustics, loudness is the subjectivity, subjective perception of sound pressure. More formally, it is defined as, "That attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud". The rel ...

- ''

Live Loudest at the Budokan '91 ''Live Loudest at the Budokan '91'' is the eight live album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released at the end of 2009 as a package of a CD and a DVD, with recordings and footage from a concert held in Tokyo Budokan during the 1 ...

'' *

B'z are a Japanese rock duo, consisting of guitarist, composer and producer Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto and vocalist and lyricist Koshi Inaba, 佐伯明『B'z ウルトラクロニクル』ソニー・マガジンズ、2003年。新型光�B'zはなぜ ...

- ''

Just Another Life ''Just Another Life'' is the first live VHS released by Japanese rock duo B'z. It features live footage of the band's early hits. The concert is the first official "Live Gym" release, although it would take several releases before the "Live Gym ...

'' (1991). *

Debbie Gibson Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...

- '' Live In Tokyo: The Possibilities World Tour'' * X Japan; 1992; ''Extasy Summit 1992'' * Tin Machine; 1992; who recorded a portion of '' Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby'', during the

It's My Life Tour The It's My Life Tour was a concert tour headlined by Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine. The tour commenced on 5 October 1991 after two warm-up shows, one press show and three trade-industry shows, visiting twelve countries and concludi ...

. * Skid Row - Live at Budokan, Tokyo 1992. *

, Tokyo 1992; 'The Force Behind the Power World Tour' * X Japan; 1993 *

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

; 1993; ''Live at Budokan''. *

; 1994; ''Get a Grip Tour'' *

Yngwie Malmsteen Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...

; 1994; video ''Live at Budokan 94'', VHS/DVD. * Blur; 1995–6; recorded a live compilation CD, '' Live at the Budokan'', in 1995, at the height of Britpop; it was released in 1996. * Princess Princess; May 31, 1996; '' The Last Live'' *

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology ''Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictiona ...

; 1996; performance later released as '' Live at the Budōkan'' (1999). This was bassist

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the ...

's last performance; he died the next day. *

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...

; 1997; “Evolution Tour” *

; 1996; 'Take Me Higher World Tour' *

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

; 1996 Prince performed four concerts during the year as the Artist formerly known as Prince. * Mr. Big; 1997; recorded '' Live at Budokan'' in 1997 *

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

; 1998; Oasis performed three nights in a row during their 'Be Here Now tour' *

Puffy Puffy can refer to: * Puffy, stage name of Sean Combs (born 1969), American rapper and entrepreneur * Puffy, nickname of Mike Bordin (born 1962), American drummer for the rock band Faith No More * Puffy, nickname of Jeff Dubay (born 1968), Minneso ...

; 1998; Recorded Jet Tour '98 in support of the album '' Jet-CD'' * Malice Mizer; 1998; two night stint at the Budokan in support of '' Merveilles'', which yielded their live video ''Merveilles ~Shuuen to Kisuu~ L'Espace'' * Journey; 1998; Recorded several songs from their

Frontiers Tour Journey is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, Steve Miller Band, and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band currently consists of guitarist/vocalist Neal Schon (the last original member), keyboardists/ ...

in 1983 at the Budokan which was included on their live album ''

Greatest Hits Live ''Greatest Hits Live'' may refer to: Music albums * ''Greatest Hits Live'' (2 Plus 1 album) * ''Greatest Hits Live'' (April Wine album) *'' Greatest Hits Live 2003'', by April Wine * ''Greatest Hits Live'' (Diana Ross album) * ''Greatest Hits Live' ...

'' * Lauryn Hill; 1999; The Miseducation Tour (two sold-out shows) *

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

; 1999;

The Velvet Rope Tour The Velvet Rope Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997), the tour visited Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Austral ...

(five sold-out shows) * Faye Wong; 1999; ''Budokan Live'' (for further information see: Faye Wong#1999: Venturing into Japan)

2000s

* Bryan Adams; 2000; '' Live at the Budokan''. * Morning Musume; 2000; DVD ''Morning Musume First Live at Budōkan: Dancing Love Site 2000 Haru'' (Also

Sayaka Ichii is a Japanese pop singer and former member for Japanese girl group Morning Musume. She is now a TV talent and planning to debut as an actress. History Morning Musume and Hello Project Joined the girl group Morning Musume in 1998. She, along wit ...

's graduation from the group) * Malice Mizer; 2-night stint at the Budokan in support of ''

Bara no Seidou is the fourth and final album by the Japanese visual kei rock band Malice Mizer, released on August 23, 2000. The title roughly translates as "Church of Roses" or "Sanctuary of Roses". In February 2007, ''Bara no Seidou'' was re-released by Ger ...

'', which yielded their live video ''Bara ni Irodorareta Akui to Higeki no Makuake''. *

; 2001; Rollerworld, Live at the Budokan 1977, released as ''Rollerworld: Live at the Budokan 1977'' in 2001. *

; 2002; filmed CD/DVD combination '' Live at Budokan''. *

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

; 2003; recorded an official bootleg at Budokan during their

Riot Act Tour The Riot Act Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its seventh album, ''Riot Act''. History Pearl Jam promoted ''Riot Act'' with tours in Australia, Japan, and North America in 2003. The tours were the band's fir ...

(for further information see: Pearl Jam#''Riot Act'': 2002–2005). *

; July 11 + 12, 2003; played at Budokan; shows recorded live *

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

; 2003; performed three concert shows, part of her Charmbracelet World Tour on July 6, 8 and 10. * Incubus; March 3, 2004; performed at Budokan and show recorded as CD ''

Live in Japan 2004 ''Live in Japan 2004'' is a live album by the American rock band Incubus (band), Incubus, released in 2004. The album's proceeds go to the band's charitable arm, the Make Yourself Foundation. It was recorded on March 3, 2004, at Nippon Budokan i ...

'' on June 1, 2004 *

; 2004; 2DVD/3CD '' Live at Budokan''. *

Hikaru Utada , who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan. Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...

; July 28, 2004; video '' Utada Hikaru in Budokan 2004: Hikaru no 5''. *

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...

; January 14, 2005. *

; 2005; DVD ''

Rising in the East ''Rising in the East'' is a live DVD of Judas Priest, released on 15 November 2005, performing a concert in Tokyo's Nippon Budokan, filmed on 19 May 2005. It is the first straight-to-DVD release. Release In unconfirmed internet reports, t ...

''. * Nana Mizuki; 2005; DVD ''

Nana Mizuki Live Rainbow at Budokan ''Nana Mizuki Live Rainbow at Budokan'' is the 3rd live DVD release from J-pop star and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress Nana Mizuki. It has two discs, Rainbow Disc and Document Disc. Rainbow Disc Contains 8th concert ''Live Rainbow at Budo ...

''. *

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

; 2005; DVD '' Live at Budokan: Bonez Tour'', '' Bonez Tour''. *

; 2006; video ''

Utada United 2006 Utada United 2006 was a Japanese concert tour by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was Utada's second concert tour of Japan following her Bohemian Summer 2000 tour. A live DVD of the tour was released on December 20, 2006. O ...

'' ( Hikaru Utada discography#Video Releases) * Nana Mizuki; 2006; DVD ''

Nana Mizuki Livedom -Birth- at Budokan Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana (c ...

''. * MUCC; 2006; DVD ''World Tour Final Nippon Budokan 666'' * Morning Musume; 2006; DVD ''Morning Musume Concert Tour 2006 Aki: Odore! Morning Curry'' *

The Gazette The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

; 2006; DVD ''Standing Live Tour 2006 ameless Liberty. Six Guns...' Tour Final at Nippon Budokan. * Ai; 2006; video; '' Nippon Budokan Ai'' * TM Network; 2007; video ''TM Network -Remaster- at Nippon Budokan 2007''. *

TVXQ TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of ...

; 2007; ''Tohoshinki 2nd Live Tour 2007: Five in the Black''. *

Perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

; 2008; "Budokaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!". * Joe Hisaishi; 2008; ''Joe Hisaishi in Budokan – 25 years with the Animations of Hayao Miyazaki''. *

Flow Flow may refer to: Science and technology * Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid * Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology * Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set * Flow (psych ...

; 2008; ''Flow Live Tour 2007–2008 'Isle' Final at Nippon Budokan'' *

; 2008; '' estaurant Main DishLive at : Budokan 2008''. *

Kishidan , which means "The Knights", are a Japanese rock band. They have a retro image, wearing Japanese school uniforms in the style of bōsōzoku. The lead singer, Sho Ayanokoji (often styled as "Show Ayanocozey"), was DJ Ozma, until he retired in De ...

; 2009; ''氣志團現象2009 AGAIN AND AGAIN'' DVD * Nana Mizuki; 2009; Blu-ray/DVD ''

Nana Mizuki Live Diamond x Fever ''Nana Mizuki Live Diamond x Fever'' is the 8th live DVD and 2nd Blu-ray Disc release from J-pop star and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress Nana Mizuki. It has 5 discs containing her two concerts ''Live Fever 2009'' and ''Live Diamond 2009''. ...

''. * MUCC; 2009; DVD ''-MUCC Live Chronicle 3 "Kyutai" in Nippon Budokan-'' * Mr. Big; 2009; live CD/DVD '' Back to Budokan''. *

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

; 2009; ''AKB104 Senbatsu Members Sokaku Matsuri'' * The Pillows; 2009; live DVD ''

Lostman Go to Budokan ''Lostman Go to Budokan'' is a live performance video by Japanese alternative rock band The Pillows on September 16, 2009 at Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was o ...

''.

2010s

* Dir En Grey; January 9–10, 2010; live DVD ''Uroboros: With the Proof in the Name of Living... At Nippon Budokan''. * An Cafe; January 14, 2010; King of Harajuku Dance Rock. * Backstreet Boys; February 18, 2010; recorded live DVD '' Backstreet Boys: This Is Us Japan Tour 2010'' on the ''

This Is Us Tour The This Is Us Tour was the eighth concert tour by American boy band, the Backstreet Boys. The tour promotes their seventh studio album, ''This Is Us (2009)''. The tour reached Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Americas. The tour was the second a ...

''. *

Nico Touches the Walls Nico Touches the Walls (stylized as NICO Touches the Walls) was a Japanese rock band formed in 2004. The band members were: Mitsumura Tatsuya, Sakakura Shingo, Furumura Daisuke & Tsushima Shotaro. In the same year, they won the Lotte Prize at the ...

; March 12, 2010; "Walls is Auroras" LIVE. * Polysics; March 14, 2010; ''Budokan or Die!!!! 2010.3.14'' * One Ok Rock; 2010; live DVD ''This Is My Budokan?!''. *

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

; February 26 & 27, 2011; ''

Speak Now World Tour The Speak Now World Tour was the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and it was launched in support of her third studio album ''Speak Now'' (2010). The Speak Now tour began on February 9, 2011 in Singapore and the tou ...

'' * Morning Musume; 2011; Ai Takahashi's graduation concert ''"Ai Believe ~Takahashi Ai Graduation Memory Special~''. *

F.T. Island F.T. Island ( ko, 에프티 아일랜드, or FT아일랜드, short for Five Treasure Island), is a South Korean rock band formed by FNC Entertainment in 2007. The band currently consists of main vocalist Lee Hong-gi, bassist Lee Jae-jin, and d ...

; 2011; Live in Budokan 'Summer Mesengger Tour'. * MUCC; 2011; live DVD ''Chemical Parade'' *

Vivid Vivid may refer to: Music * Vivid (band), a Japanese rock band * "Vivid" (song), by Electronic, 1999 *"ViViD", a 2016 song by Loona from '' HeeJin'' Albums * ''Vivid'' (Vivian Green album), 2015 * ''Vivid'' (Crystal Kay album), 2012 * ''Vivi ...

January 7, 2012; Take Off: Birth to the New World *

; February 16 & 17, 2012; ''

Epitaph World Tour The Epitaph World Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, at the time intended to be the band's farewell tour. The tour commenced in June 2011 and concluded in May 2012. The tour was named after the 6th track from th ...

'' *

2PM 2PM (; romanized; ''Tupiem'') is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Jun. K (formerly known as Junsu), Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho and Chansung. Originally a seven-piece group, fo ...

; 2012; 2PM Six Beautiful Day Live in Budokan *

Milky Holmes is a media franchise owned by the Japanese trading card game company Bushiroad. The first release was an Internet radio drama, released in December 2009. An anime adaptation by J.C.Staff aired between October and December 2010, with a ...

; 2012; ''Milky Holmes Live in Budokan'' * Lee Seung-gi; 2012; First Japan Live in Budokan ''Kidou'' (Hope). * T-ara; 2012; ''Live in Budokan'', recording of a concert performed as part of their Jewelry Box tour *

Dream Morning Musume is a Japanese female pop group, consisting of 10 former members of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume. It was created in 2011. As with Morning Musume, the group is managed by the Up-Front Agency and produced by Tsunku. During the announcem ...

; March 10, 2012; ''Dream Morning Musume Special Live 2012 Nippon Budokan~Dai 1 Shou Shuumaku 'Yuusha tachi, Shuugou seyo * U-KISS; 2012; live DVD '' U-KISS Live in Budokan''. * Morning Musume; 2012; Risa Niigaki and Aika Mitsui's graduation concert ''Ultra Smart''. * Scandal; March 28, 2012; ''Japan Title Match Live 2012: Scandal vs Budokan'' * Sonar Pocket; August 3, 2012; ''Sonapokeizm Special - Natsu no Jin - in Nippon Budokan'' *

Acid Black Cherry Acid Black Cherry (abbreviated as ABC) is the solo project of the former lead vocalist of Janne Da Arc, Yasu. The group was formed after Janne Da Arc announced their indefinite hiatus. Information Acid Black Cherry is the solo project of Yasunori ...

; 2012; "Live DVD Acid Black Cherry Tour 『2012』" * Princess Princess; November 23, 2012; '' Princess Princess Tour 2012: Saikai at Budokan'' *Ai; December 5, 2012; ''Independent Tour 2012 - Live in Budokan'' * Spyair; December 18, 2012; * Morning Musume; 2013; Reina Tanaka's graduation concert, ''Michishige☆Eleven Soul'' *

°C-ute , was a Japanese girl group associated with Hello! Project and produced by Tsunku. Cute consisted of Maimi Yajima, Saki Nakajima, Airi Suzuki, Chisato Okai, and Mai Hagiwara, who were all members of Hello! Project Kids prior to the group's forma ...

; 2013; ''Queen of J-Pop ~Tadoritsuita Onna Senshi~'' *

; 2013; ''AKB48 Group Rinji Soukai "Shirokuro tsukeyou janai ka!"'' * T-ara; 2013; '' T-ara Japan Tour 2013: Treasure Box'' * Morning Musume; 2013; ''~Chance!~'' * Berryz Kobo; 2013; ''Berryz Koubou 10 Shuunen Kinen Budokan Special Live ~Yappari Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai~'' *

Group Research Students; 2013; ''AKB48 Group Kenkyuusei Concert ~Oshimen Hayai Mono Gachi~'' *

Super Junior KRY Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...

; 2013; Special Japan tour ''Super Junior K.R.Y. Special Winter Concert'' * Mamoru Miyano; October 4, 2013; ''MAMORU MIYANO SPECIAL LIVE 2013 ～TRAVELING!～'' first male voice actor to uphold a one-man show in Budokan *

LiSA Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

; January 3, 2014; ''Live Is Smile Always - Kyo mo Ii Hi Da - In Nippon Budokan'' *

; February 4 and 5, 2014:

The Avril Lavigne Tour The Avril Lavigne Tour was the fifth concert tour by Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne. The tour was supporting her fifth studio album, ''Avril Lavigne'' (2013). Beginning December 2013, the tour played over 78 concerts in America and Asia. ...

* Babymetal; March 1 and 2, 2014 ; '' Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse'' * Dir En Grey; March 8–9, 2014; ''Dum Spiro Spero at Nippon Budokan'' *Ai; March 26, 2014; ''Moria Gatchai Masita in Budokan'' *

S/mileage , formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project, which originally consisted of four former Hello! Pro Egg (''Hello! Project'' trainees) members that left Egg in 2010 and became full-time members of ''Hello! ...

; July 15, 2014; ''S/mileage Live 2014 Natsu Full Charge ~715 Nippon Budokan~'' *

Junho Joon-ho, also spelled Jun-ho, is a Korean given name, that is a masculine name. The meaning differs based on the hanja used to write the name. There are 34 hanja with the reading " joon" and 49 hanja with the reading " ho" on the South Korean gov ...

(from

); August 12 and 13, 2014; ''"Feel" Solo Tour in Japan 2014'' * Dish; January 1, 2015 *

; January 10 and 12, 2015; ''LiVE is Smile Always - PiNK & BLACK - in Nippon Budokan'' *

Silent Siren was a Japanese all-female band formed in 2010 and associated with Platinum Production. The members consist of three fashion models: Sumire Yoshida (lead vocals and guitar), Aina Yamauchi (bass guitar), and Yukako Kurosaka (keyboard). Ayana Sōg ...

; January 17, 2015; ''Silent Siren Live Tour 2014–2015 Fuyu ~Budokan e Go! Siren Go!~ at Budokan'' *

Oldcodex Oldcodex (stylized as OLDCODEX) was a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, Japan, formed in 2009. They performed the opening themes for the anime series '' Free!'', ''Servamp'' and '' God Eater'' and the ending themes for ''Kuroko's Basketball'' and ...

; February 11, 2015; ''"Capture" in Budokan'' * Mamoru Miyano; 2015; ''MAMORU MIYANO LIVE TOUR 2015 ～AMAZING!～'' final at Budokan * Kalafina; February 28, 2015; ''Kalafina Live Best 2015 "Red Day"''. March 1, 2015; ''Kalafina Live Best 2015 "Blue Day"'' *

; March 3, 2015; ''13th Anniversary Nippon Budokan'' *

; March 11, 2015; ''

Redeemer of Souls Tour The Redeemer of Souls Tour was a worldwide concert tour by English heavy metal band, Judas Priest, which was in support of ''Redeemer of Souls''. It was their first tour since the conclusion of the Epitaph World Tour in 2012, which was originally ...

'' * Kana-Boon; March 31, 2015 * Morning Musume; May 27, 2015; ''~Gradation~''. * 己龍 (Kiryu); July 31, 2015 *

Hatsune Miku , also called Miku Hatsune, and officially code-named CV01, is a Vocaloid software voicebank developed by Crypton Future Media and its official moe anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mascot character, a 16-year-old girl with long, turquoise bu ...

; September 4–5, 2015; ''Magical Mirai''. * Eir Aoi; November 2, 2015; ''Eir Aoi Special Live 2015 World of Blue at Nippon Budokan'' * Angerme; November 29, 2015, ''Angerme First Concert Tour 2015 Aki "Hyakka Ryouran" ~Fukuda Kanon Sotsugyou Special~'' * Morning Musume; December 7–8, 2015; ''~Prism~''. * Dish; January 1–2, 2016; ''4 Monkey Magic''. *

Wagakki Band is a Japanese band that combines rock music with ''wagakki'' (traditional Japanese musical instruments) and ''shigin'' (Japanese poems reciting art). Their early songs were adapted from Vocaloid recordings but they have since written their own ...

; January 6, 2016; '' Wagakki Band Daishinnenkai 2016 Nippon Budokan: Akatsuki no Utage''. * Scandal; January 12–13, 2016; ''SCANDAL ARENA TOUR 2015–2016 「PERFECT WORLD」'' * Mamoru Miyano; 2016; ''MAMORU MIYANO LIVE TOUR 2015-16 ～GENERATING!～'' final at Budokan * Dir En Grey; February 5–6, 2016; ''Arche at Nippon Budokan'' * iKon; February 15–16, 2016; '' iKoncert 2016: Showtime Tour'' *

Symphogear is a Japanese anime television franchise animated by Satelight. The original season aired on Tokyo MX between January and March 2012. The second season entitled ''Symphogear G'' aired between July and September 2013, The third season, ''Sy ...

; February 27–28, 2016; ''Symphogear Live 2016'' * YuiKaori; March 12, 2016; ''RAINBOW CANARY!! ～Brightest Stage～'' * Shouta Aoi; March 13, 2016; ''Wonder Lab. ~Bokutachi no Sign~'' *

; May 26-27, 2016; ''Spring Live 2016, We’re Like A Puzzle @Nippon Budokan''
*

Aya Uchida is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She played Kotori Minami in ''Love Live! School Idol Project'' and Kaban in '' Kemono Friends''. She released the single "Sign/Candy Flavor", the song "Sign" was used as the ending theme for ''The Quintes ...

; August 13, 2016; ''AYA UCHIDA Complete LIVE 〜COLORS〜 in Nippon Budokan'' * Kalafina; September 16–17, 2016; ''Kalafina Arena LIVE 2016'' * Queen + Adam Lambert; September 21–23; ''

Queen + Adam Lambert 2016 Summer Festival Tour Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

'' * Suzuko Mimori; October 27–28, 2016; ''Mimori Suzuko Live Tour 2016 "Grand Revue" Final at Nippon Budokan'' * Eir Aoi; November 4–5, 2016; ''Eir Aoi 5th Anniversary Special Live 2016 ～Last Blue～ at Nippon Budokan'' *

My First Story My First Story (stylized as MY FIRST STORY) is a Japanese rock band from Shibuya, Tokyo. Formed in 2011, the band currently consists of vocalist Hiroki Moriuchi, guitarist Teruki Nishizawa, bassist Nobuaki Katō, and drummer Shōhei Sasaki. The ...

; November 18, 2016; ''We're Just Waiting 4 You Tour 2016 Final at Budokan'' * Journey; February 7, 2017; recorded live CD/DVD ''Live in Japan 2017'' * ClariS; February 10, 2017; ''ClariS 1st Budōkan Concert ~Futatsu no Kamen to Ushinawareta Taiyō~'' (ClariS 1st Budōkan Concert: Two Masks and the Lost Sun) *

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

; February 14, 2017; ''Chateau de Versailles at Nippon Budokan'' *

The Oral Cigarettes , stylized as THE ORAL CIGARETTES is a four-member Japanese alternative rock band from Nara Prefecture, formed in July 2010. The band signed to A-Sketch in 2012 and have currently released five studio albums, two independent albums, one demo albu ...

; June 16, 2017; ''Unofficial Dining Tour 2017 at Nippon Budokan'' *

Taemin Lee Tae-min (born July 18, 1993), better known mononymously as Taemin, is a South Korean singer, actor and dancer. He debuted as a member of the boy band Shinee in May 2008 and the supergroup SuperM in 2019, both under SM Entertainment, and h ...

; July 1–2, 2017; ''TAEMIN The 1st Stage Nippon Budokan'' * Blackpink; July 20, 2017, ''Japanese Debut Showcase'' * After the Rain; August 9–10, 2017; ''AtR -Clockwise / Anti-Clockwise-'' *

Poppin'Party Poppin'Party is a Japanese all-female band that was formed in 2015 as part of Bushiroad's media franchise ''BanG Dream!''. The group's members are voice actresses who portray fictional characters in the franchise's anime series and mobile game ''B ...

('' BanG Dream!''); August 21, 2017; '' BanG Dream! 4th☆LIVE Miracle PARTY 2017!'' * Aimer; August 29, 2017; '' Aimer Live in Budokan "blanc et noir"'' *

; September 11, 2017;
Back to Budokan 2017
' * Nana Mizuki; January 11–21, 2018; ''NANA MIZUKI LIVE GATE 2018'' * Kalafina; January 23, 2018; ''Kalafina 10th Anniversary LIVE 2018 at Nippon Budokan'' * coldrain; February 6, 2018; ''FATELESS JAPAN TOUR 2017'' * Nogizaka46; April 22, 2018; ''

Rina Ikoma Rina or RINA may refer to: __NOTOC__ People and fictional characters * Rina (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Kento Rina, Indian politician * Mahfuza Rahman Rina, Bangladeshi politician * Tongam Rina (born 1979), Indian journ ...

Graduation Concert @ Nippon Budokan (生駒里奈卒業コンサート＠日本武道館)'' *

Winner Winner(s) or The Winner(s) may refer to: * Champion, the victor in a game or contest *The successful social class in winner and loser culture Film * ''The Winner'' (1926 film), an American silent film starring Billy Sullivan * ''The Winner'' ...

; April 28, 2018; ''WINNER Japan Tour 2018 ~We'll always be young~'' *

; October 31 and November 1, 2018; #1's Tour (two sold-out shows) *

Maaya Uchida is a Japanese voice actress and singer who works for I'm Enterprise. She won the Best Rookie Actress Award at the 8th Seiyu Awards. She is best known for her roles such as Rikka Takanashi in ''Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions'', Ranko Kanzaki i ...

; January 1, 2019; ''UCHIDA MAAYA New Year LIVE 2019「take you take me BUDOKAN!!」'' (sold-out concert) *

Ensemble Stars! is a Japanese game franchise developed by Cacalia Studio and published by Happy Elements K.K., the Japanese division of the Chinese company Happy Elements. It is a spin-off of the 2012 game ''Ensemble Girls!'' It was first released as a lif ...

; January 13, 2019; ''Ensemble Stars! Starry Stage 2nd ～in Nippon Budokan～'' *

; January 28, 2019; ''Milky Holmes Final Live Q.E.D.'' *

; February 10 and February 11, 2019;

State of the World Tour The State of the World Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Janet Jackson. Launched in promotion of her eleventh studio album ''Unbreakable'' (2015), the tour is produced by Live Nation and is under the creative direction of Gil ...

(two sold-out shows) *

Aimyon is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She is from Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture. Her agency is ENS Entertainment, and her label is unBORDE under Warner Music Japan. Career Aimyon was influenced to become a singer-songwriter in part because o ...

;February 18, 2019; ''Aimyon Budokan -1995-'' * Roselia,

Raise A Suilen Raise A Suilen (stylized as RAISE A SUILEN) is a Japanese all-female rock band that is part of Bushiroad's media franchise ''BanG Dream!''. Formed in 2018, the group's members portray fictional characters in the project's anime series and mobile ...

, and

('' BanG Dream!''); February 21–23, 2019; '' BanG Dream! 7th☆LIVE'' * Inori Minase; June 28–29, 2019; ''Inori Minase LIVE TOUR 2019 Catch the Rainbow!'' * Official Hige Dandism; July 8, 2019; ''Official HIGE DANdism one-man tour 2019 @ Nippon Budokan''

2020s

; January 3–4, 2021; Daishinnenkai 2021 Nippon Budokan: Amanoiwato * Babymetal; 2021; 10 Babymetal Budokan * Yoasobi; December 4–5, 2021; Nice to Meet You * Wagakki Band; January 9, 2022; Daishinnenkai 2022 Nippon Budokan: Yasoukenbunroku *

Momoiro Clover Z is a Japanese idol girl group, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or . The four members of MCZ are known for energetic performances, incorporating elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies. MCZ is notable for being the first female group to ho ...

; May 15, 2022; MOMOIRO CLOVER Z 6th ALBUM TOUR “Shukuten” * Onew; July 7-8, 2022; Onew Japan 1st Concert Tour ~Life Goes On~ * Lee Jun-ho; August 20-21, 2022; Lee Junho 2022 Fan-Con * Eve; August 29-30, 2022; Kaizin Live Tour

Other events

The National Memorial Service for War Dead is held with the attendance of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

and the Empress annually in Budokan on August 15, the day of Japan's surrender. As well as holding the Live Concert in appreciation of the Popular Anime series

Lucky Star Lucky Star, The Lucky Star or Lucky Starr may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Anime and manga * ''Lucky Star'' (manga), a manga, anime, and video game series * "Lucky Star", one of the Angel Frames from the anime and manga series ''Galaxy ...

: Live in Budokan (Anata No Tame Dakara). A concert was held in honor of Studio Ghibli's 25th anniversary at the Budokan, hosted by Joe Hisaishi. It included repertoire from most of the films Hisaishi composed for Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli filmography.

performed and taped her "Here and Now" television special in 1991 to a sold-out audience. The Japan Record Awards took place in the arena from 1985 to 1993 where all of the artists from around the country receive these awards.

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

won a unanimous decision over Mac Foster in their 1972 heavyweight boxing match. On February 13, 1975, a religious gathering was held to hear Rev.

Sun Myung Moon Sun Myung Moon (; born Yong Myung Moon; 6 January 1920 – 3 September 2012) was a Korean religious leader, also known for his business ventures and support for conservative political causes. A messiah claimant, he was the founder of the Unif ...

speak. On August 27, 2011, Japan's three biggest professional wrestling promotions;

and

came together to produce a charity event titled All Together at the arena. On August 10, 11 and 12, 2018

held the final 3 days of the G1 Climax in the Budokan, which marked the first time in 15 years that New Japan has promoted an event there. New Japan once again returned to the arena for the final 3 days of the 2019 G1 Climax. New Japan also held the Best of the Super Jr. and World Tag League finals in December 2021, as well as their 49th Anniversary Show and the final two days of the upcoming G1 Climax in 2021. Joshi wrestling promotion

World Wonder Ring Stardom World Wonder Ring Stardom (スターダム女子プロレス), often referred to simply as Stardom (stylized as ST★RDOM), is a Japanese '' joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded i ...

held their All Star Dream Cinderella event on March 3, 2021. Making this the first time a joshi company to held a event in the venue in 24 years. Professional wrestler and legend in Japan Kenta Kobashi wrestled his final match in Budokan on May 11, 2013, at an event titled

Final Burning in Budokan Final Burning in Budokan was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by Pro Wrestling Noah, which took place on May 11, 2013, at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Headlined by the retirement match of Kenta Kobashi, all in all, the ...

. Kobashi is synonymous with the arena along with fellow wrestlers Toshiaki Kawada and the late Mitsuharu Misawa. In November, the Budokan is a two day-venue for the annual

Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...

Marching Festival, a yearly tradition and the nation's

military tattoo A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ''doe den tap toe'' ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeeper ...

first held here in the fall of 1963. Aside from JSDF bands, foreign armed forces military bands are also invited to join the event. The

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

of Shinzo Abe was held at the Budokan on 27 September 2022.

Other uses

The Nippon Budokan is the primary setting of the 1989

fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...

'' Budokan: The Martial Spirit''. Players train in various Japanese martial arts, and must then face off at the Budokan arena against computer-controlled opponents. A fictional concert hall based on the Nippon Budokan appeared in the music video game '' Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'' (2007) under the name "

Kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

Megadome". The Beatles' appearance at Nippon Budokan was featured in '' The Beatles: Rock Band'' (2009). Another fictional hall based on the Nippon Budokan appeared in the Japanese pro-wrestling video game '' Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Ōdō Keishō'' (2000).

References

External links

Nippon Budokan official website

1964 Summer Olympics official report.
Volume 1. Part 1. pp. 128–30. {{Authority control Basketball venues in Japan Sports venues in Tokyo Culture in Tokyo Indoor arenas in Japan Music venues in Tokyo Dōjō Sports venues completed in 1964 Venues of the 1964 Summer Olympics Venues of the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic judo venues Olympic karate venues Boxing venues in Japan Buildings and structures in Chiyoda, Tokyo 1964 establishments in Japan

Location

Venue history

Martial arts

Music

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Other events

Other uses

See also

References

External links