Japan: Peace Stadiums In Hiroshima And Nagasaki - A Kilometer From Ground Zero

17.02.2025 12:03

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Miguel Ciołczyk Garcia

Picturesque, modern, built over a river. Although separated by 300 kilometers, the new stadiums in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are united by the word "peace" in their names, a reminder of the atomic holocaust that befell both cities in 1945 just a few hundred meters from both arenas' present locations.

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PEACE STADIUM in Nagasaki is an example of a symmetrical, compact and modern soccer facility, and its capacity barely exceeds 20,000 seats. In contrast, Hiroshima’s EDION Peace Wing, while being a typical soccer facility as well, has an open layout, a wavy roof and asymmetrical, multi-colored stands that seat 28,520 fans.

Still, the two venues have more similarities than differences. Both opened in 204, and their modern and elegant design, along with their riverside location, make them architectural gems. Both are also candidates to win our Stadium of the Year 2024 contest, so if the simplicity of the Nagasaki stadium or the asymmetrical shapes of the Hiroshima arena appeal to you, you can choose one of them (or both) for your favorite five among the 23 newly opened stadiums.

The two stadiums have yet another element in common: a difficult history. At the end of World War II, US troops dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, killing around 200,000 people. The Edion Peace Wing in Hiroshima and Peace Stadium in Nagasaki are a short distance - 700 and 1,500 meters - from the sites of the explosions.

Although 80 years have already passed, the trauma of the war is still present in both cities. That's why the name Edion Peace Wing symbolizes the desire for lasting peace and flight to a bright future, visible also in the wavy roof that is meant to resemble wings of hope. In the stands of Peace Stadium in Nagasaki, on the other hand, the chairs are arranged in a lone word: Peace.

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