Jump to content

Nippon Budokan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 110.138.239.64 (talk) at 04:13, 23 January 2011 (→Music). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Nippon Budokan (日本武道館)
Budokan
Nippon Budokan Hall Main entrance
Map
Location2-3 Kitanomarukōen, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8321, Japan
Coordinates35°41′36″N 139°45′00″E / 35.69333°N 139.75000°E / 35.69333; 139.75000
OwnerThe Nippon Budokan Foundation (財団法人 日本武道館, Zaidan Hōjin Nippon Budōkan)
Capacity14,201
Field sizeHeight: 42 m (140 ft)
Construction
Built1964
OpenedOctober 3, 1964
Construction cost2 billion Japanese yen
(5.6 million USD in 1964)
ArchitectMamoru Yamada
Main contractorsTakenaka Corporation

The Nippon Budokan (日本武道館, Nippon Budōkan), often shortened to just Budokan, is an arena in central Tokyo, Japan.

For many Westerners, the Budokan is synonymous with large-scale rock concerts. It was here that The Beatles made their Japanese debut[1] and the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded. The Nippon Budokan, however, was originally built for the judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics, hence its name, rendered in English as Martial Arts Hall.

Location

The Nippon Budokan is located in Kitanomaru Park in the center of Tokyo, two minutes' walking distance from Kudanshita Subway Station, and near Yasukuni Shrine. This 42 m (140 ft) high imposing octagonal structure holds 14,201 people (arena seats: 2,762, 1st floor seats: 3,199, 2nd floor seats: 7,760, standee: 480) and is modeled after Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) in Hōryū-ji in Nara.

Venue history

Martial arts

A Concert Stage at Budokan

Though it still functions as a venue for big musical events, its primary purpose is for Japanese martial arts. The national championships of the different branches of the martial arts (judo, kendo, karate, aikido, shorinji kempo, kyūdō, naginata, etc.) are held annually at the Budokan. For wrestling fans the Budokan means professional wrestling's big shows. Now, the Budokan is mostly used by Pro Wrestling Noah, who often hold major events there.

Music

Roof of Budokan and cherry blossoms

The Beatles were the first rock group to perform here, in a series of shows in June/July 1966; their appearances were met with opposition from those who felt the appearance of a western pop group would defile the martial arts arena.[2]

However, the Budokan gained worldwide fame when American artists Cheap Trick & Bob Dylan used the arena to record their concert albums, At Budokan (1978) and Bob Dylan at Budokan (1979), respectively. In explaining the popularity of the venue for live albums, Eric Clapton described the Tokyo audience as "almost overappreciative" in interviews promoting his own live Just One Night (1980), recorded at Budokan.

Other artists to release live recordings from this venue include:

The original Beatles concert is heavily bootlegged on audio and video;[3] the first night's concert video was officially released by Apple in Japan only as Beatles Concert at Budokan 1966, and excerpts are included in The Beatles Anthology. Chatmonchy currently holds the record for the largest crowd at Budokan.[citation needed]

Non-Japanese artists to appear at this venue include:

  • Dream Theater

    • Notable Japanese acts that have played at Budokan include:

    Nippon Budokan

    Other events

    A national ceremony to mourn the Second World War dead is held with the attendance of the Prime Minister, the Emperor and the Empress annually in Budokan on August 15, the day of Japan's surrender.

    References

    1. ^ Antimusic.com - Cheap Trick - Budokan!
    2. ^ "Japan keeps Lennon's memory alive". BBC News. December 8, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
    3. ^ Unterberger, Richie (2006). The Unreleased Beatles: Music & Film. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 321–322. ISBN 9780879308926.
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nippon Budokan.
    Preceded by Host of the
    Japan Record Awards
    1985-1993     		Succeeded by
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Nippon_Budokan&oldid=409490027"