Saitama Stadium 2002 Visitor Guide — Access Events Facilities

Saitama Stadium 2002 (埼玉スタジアム2002) sits inside Saitama Stadium 2002 Park in Misono, Midori Ward, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. The prefecture owns the facility; operations are handled under the designated management system by the Saitama Stadium 2002 Park Management Network (representative organization: Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Saitama Prefectural Park and Green Space Association; constituent organizations: Saitama Building Maintenance Cooperative and the Saitama Prefecture Landscaping Association). It is a soccer-only stadium with a capacity of 63,700 — the largest soccer-specific venue in Japan — built as one of the host stadiums for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The stadium’s kokera-otoshi (opening match) was 13 October 2001: a J1 fixture, Urawa Reds v Yokohama F. Marinos, attended by 60,553 spectators (a J.League record at the time).

Arrival and immediate surroundings

The nearest rail access is Urawa-Misono Station on the Saitama Rapid Railway Line; the station lies about 1.2 km from the stadium, roughly a 15-minute walk. On match days the railway increases train services and operates through services via the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and the Tokyu Meguro Line as far as Hiyoshi; there are also through services that reach Ebina via the Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama connection. Pre-match shuttle buses run from Urawa-Misono Station to the stadium; shuttle return services from the stadium to Urawa-Misono are generally not operated.

Matchday shuttle and direct buses are provided by several operators. Kokusai Kogyo Bus runs services from Urawa Station (journey about 40 minutes), from Higashi-Urawa Station on the Musashino Line (about 20–25 minutes), and (outbound only) short trips from Urawa-Misono Station (about 5–8 minutes). Kokusai Kogyo has also run direct services from Ikebukuro (Sunshine City) and from Tokyo Station Kaji Bridge parking lot on selected Urawa Reds weekday matches (approximate times: Ikebukuro ~40 minutes, Tokyo Station ~60 minutes). Tobu Bus operates from Kita-Koshigaya Station (about 20 minutes). A local route from Iwatsuki Station on the Tōbu Noda Line runs via Urawa-Misono Station east exit — alighting at the “Ogazaki” stop places you about a 20-minute walk from the stadium’s north side; this is the only public-transport approach from the stadium’s northern quadrant.

By road the stadium is served from the Tohoku Expressway (Urawa IC and Iwatsuki IC) and national routes: Route 122 runs roughly parallel to the Tohoku Expressway on the west side, and Route 463 (Koshigaya–Urawa bypass) passes south of Urawa-Misono Station and connects to Urawa IC. The park contains four parking areas with a combined capacity of 1,500 cars; the east parking accommodates up to 100 large buses. For large J.League and Japan national team matches these parking areas are reserved for officials and staff, and surrounding roads are subject to traffic restrictions.

What the park and pitch look like

The stadium sits within an urban park area that includes three subgrounds, futsal courts, and a lawn plaza. A rest house (restaurant) and a sports club using the park facilities have been opened; these park facilities are available for general public use. The subgrounds comprise two natural grass pitches and one artificial-turf pitch; the futsal area consists of two artificial-turf courts. For public use, to protect the main natural turf, the 4th ground and the two artificial futsal courts are the parts of the complex normally opened to citizens.

Saitama Stadium is a soccer-only bowl: the lower tiers of the main and back stands connect via the side stands so the pitch is completely enclosed by seating. The distances from stands to the playing surface emphasize proximity to play: the main and back stands sit about 14 m from the touchline; side stands are about 19 m from the goal line. Compared with a stadium with an athletics track, roughly 16,000 seats are positioned noticeably closer to the pitch.

Spectator layout and matchday arrangements

For Urawa Reds home matches and Japan national team fixtures the north stand (the shuttle-bus side) is designated for home supporters. For Omiya Ardija home fixtures, the south stand (the Urawa-Misono Station side) has been used as the home supporters’ area. Historically away seating was concentrated in a section of the south goal end, but since 2015 a visitor-designated area has been provided at the main upper stand on the away side; that visitor-designated area is not separated by a buffer from adjacent main upper seats.

A buffer zone between home and away areas is used at many matches. Where the buffer is enforced, unsold seats remain between the supporter blocks and the stadium’s effective attendance can be lower than the official capacity. For high-school tournaments and some local fixtures the buffer is not applied; the concourse under the stands can be used to circulate the stadium.

On Urawa Reds matchdays an “After Game Reds Bar” operates on-site for approximately 90 minutes after the final whistle; hotel catering has been used there to help disperse returning crowds.

Regular users, competitions and notable matches

Built as a World Cup venue, Saitama Stadium hosted four matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, including Japan’s group-stage opener against Belgium and a semi-final between Brazil and Turkey. The final was not hosted here; the deciding arrangements favoured Yokohama’s stadium for capacity and access reasons.

The stadium has been a frequent Japan national team venue across World Cup qualifying and friendlies. Notable qualifiers and milestones include the 2006 Asian qualifying rounds (home matches in the early round against Oman, India and Singapore, and two final-round matches: North Korea and Bahrain); 2010 qualifying matches (third round: Thailand and Bahrain; final round: Uzbekistan and Bahrain); and 2014 qualifying where the final-round home matches (Oman, Jordan, Iraq and Australia) were all held at Saitama. On 3 June 2012 an Oman match drew 63,551 spectators, a record crowd for a national-team match at the stadium; on 4 June 2013 a win at Saitama secured World Cup qualification at home for the first time.

The stadium staged the bulk of Japan’s 2018 qualifying programme — all second-round home matches and all five final-round home matches — and on 31 August 2017 Japan beat Australia 2–0 at Saitama to secure qualification. In the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifying third round, four of five home fixtures (China, Australia, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) were held at Saitama; on 20 March 2025 a 2–0 win over Bahrain clinched Japan’s qualification at Saitama, the earliest in the world at that time.

At club level the stadium was registered as Urawa Reds’ home stadium in 2003; the club increased its use of the venue progressively, staging all league fixtures there from 2010, and using the stadium for league and cup matches through subsequent seasons (with variations in home-venue arrangements in some years). Omiya Ardija also used the venue for some home matches from 2001 until the club’s local stadium reopened and their use of Saitama ceased after 2011.

Saitama Stadium has also been used for the J.League Cup final (2014–2019, and 2021), the Emperor’s Cup final in 2017 and 2018, the National High School Soccer Championship (the main stadium has been used since the 80th tournament in 2001, with rounds and roles evolving over the years), and national youth finals including the U-18 championship.

Pitch, screens and infrastructure updates

The main playing surface used natural turf from opening. Wear, unevenness and aging of the ground-temperature control system prompted a full replacement programme: the prefecture selected turf cultivated by contract growers in Yamamoto, Watari District, Miyagi Prefecture (noted for rapid growth and durability). Work originally scheduled to start in November 2021 was postponed at the Japan Football Association’s request to avoid conflict with 2022 World Cup Asian qualifying; construction began after the 2022 J1 season in November 2022. During the work the ground-temperature control system was renewed and sprinklers were installed. Turf laying completed in March 2023 and, after a prescribed growth and recovery period, the pitch returned to use in April 2023.

Large video screens (aurora vision) occupy the rear of both side stands. The original screens were removed after the 2012 season and replaced by a full-HD second-generation system used from the 2013 season onward; the 2nd-generation screen measures 10.24 m by 23.552 m (a 1,011-type screen) and displays 1,280 × 2,944 pixels. An “aurora ribbon” band display was installed after the 2013 season and has been used since the 2014 season to present sponsor material and match-day animations in coordination with the main screens. Mitsubishi Electric manufactured both the first and second-generation screens and the ribbon display. Screen replacements were scheduled for update over the 2022–2024 period.

Other uses, community functions and disaster readiness

Although the bowl design and proximity of stands make staging rugby, American football and large-scale concerts difficult — and the stadium has no record of major concerts on the pitch — the wider park hosts public events such as flea markets and exhibitions. A stadium wedding programme permits the marrying couple to walk on the pitch as a special exception, and the venue has been used for television and commercial shoots. The park will host parts of the VIVA LA ROCK 2026 festival in a temporary setup around the stadium while Saitama Super Arena is under renovation (5–6 May 2026 festival dates are planned for the broader event).

Saitama Stadium also doubles as a disaster-preparedness facility. Rainwater collected from the roof is stored in a 3,250 cubic-metre tank normally used for pitch irrigation and toilet flushing; in an emergency that water can be treated to supply potable water for 3,000 people for one month. Emergency food stocks are stored beneath the stands and a 2,200-square-metre warehouse holds additional supplies and relief equipment; the site includes water purification equipment. An evacuation plan estimates 60,000 people can be evacuated in 13 minutes, and the structure was designed to withstand severe seismic shaking (up to intensity 7). Solar power generation on site supplies daytime electricity for office areas.

FAQ

What is the seating capacity?

The stadium seats 63,700 and is the largest soccer-specific stadium in Japan.

How far is the nearest train station?

Urawa-Misono Station on the Saitama Rapid Railway Line is about 1.2 km from the stadium, approximately a 15-minute walk; on match days services are increased and pre-match shuttle buses operate from the station.

Which club uses Saitama Stadium as its home?

Urawa Reds registered Saitama Stadium as their home stadium in 2003 and increased use thereafter, staging all league matches there from 2010.

What disaster-preparedness features does the stadium have?

The stadium stores rainwater in a 3,250 m³ tank (usable as potable water for 3,000 people for one month in an emergency), keeps emergency food and supplies under the stands and in a 2,200 m² warehouse, and has an evacuation plan for 60,000 people in 13 minutes.