Nippon Budokan
Martial arts fans should rejoice because the Nippon Budokan will be the venue that holds a couple of different events during the 2020 Summer Olympics. All weight classes of judo matches between men, women, and one mixed team program will happen at this venue. On top of judo, karate Kumite (sparring) and Kata (forms) events will take place in the Nippon Budokan. If you are heading to Tokyo to watch some martial arts, then you need to go to the Nippon Budokan for these events. This isn’t the first-time judo will be held at this venue. The Budokan opened back in 1964 for the Summer Olympics. At the time, only the judo event was hosted here, but Karate has been added as well. Martial arts aren’t the only event that has been held here. The Nippon Budokan was also the home of the World Women’s Volleyball Championship, kendo tournaments, and it has even hosted music performances from The Beatles and ABBA, among other music groups.
The field size of the stadium is 140 feet and the maximum capacity is 14,471 people. If you are heading to Japan to watch martial arts at the 2020 Olympics, this page is designed to help you out. We will give you information about transportation to the Nippon Budokan, what kind of weather to expect, food around the venue, and how you can spend your time in Tokyo while you are not watching martial arts. By the time you have finished reading this page, you will have all the information you will need to have a great time around the Nippon Budokan and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
What Events Are At The Nippon Budokan?
There are two main events happening at the Nippon Budokan. Firstly, there are going to be the karate events. There are two different events within karate that will happen. Karate fans will get the chance to watch both the sparring and the forms event here. The sparring events will consist of matches between two athletes while the forms event is a demonstration of karate offensive and defensive poses. Both are going to be a spectacle to watch.
Karate is not the only event at the Nippon Budokan. You will also be able to watch judo while you are at this venue. Unlike karate, judo will only have sparring events happening. Judo athletes will compete against each other in a showing of strength and control to pin down their opponent. Judo is one of the most popular Olympic events to watch due to the fact that it is sparring without having to strike the opponent.
Weather Conditions For The Nippon Budokan
Lucky for martial arts fans, the Nippon Budokan is an indoor venue. The A/C will be on in the venue to help you escape from the summer heat. Japan has extremely humid weather during the summer. This is likely due to the rainy season that Japan experiences. Rainy season in Japan means it rains almost every day from June through mid-July. Although the 2020 Summer Olympics does not happen until after the rainy season, you might see some scattered showers. You will experience high humidity while you are there. Combine the humidity with the 95F temperature, it is going to be absolutely hot in Tokyo. This isn’t even including the fact that it is going to be crowded by the Olympic tourist and the people who are already in the dense city of Tokyo. While you are in Tokyo, we recommend you travel with a water bottle so you do not get overwhelmed by the heat.
Transportation To The Nippon Budokan
The public transportation system in Tokyo is extremely reliable. Many consider Tokyo to have one one of the best public transportation systems in the entire world. Because of that, using the train system is your absolute best bet for you to get to the Nippon Budokan on time. Using other methods of transportation is not suggested because you might end up arriving late or be completely caught in traffic.
Traveling By Railway
You have two different subway options for you to head to the venue. You can either take the Subway Tozai Line (TO7), the Subway Hanzomon Line (ZO6), or the Subway Shinjuku Line (SO5). All of them will lead you to the number two exit of the Kudanshita Station. From there, it is only a five-minute walk to the Nippon Budokan. You can pick which line you will use depending on where you are staying or are coming from. We do not really recommend you try renting a car or taking a taxi as those methods of travel could lead to serious delays for your trip. Stick with the trains while you are in Tokyo and you will get to everywhere you need to go in no time.
Things To Do In Tokyo
There are honestly too many things to do while you are in Tokyo. OlympicBettingOdds.com knows it is absolutely impossible to list all the different things you can do in the city, so we are going to try to keep it to things you can do around the Nippon Budokan. The arena is actually inside of a park known as Kitanomaru Park. You can go canoeing at the Chidorigafuchi Moat and take in the nature of the park. You can also visit the National Museum of Modern Art and go see artworks from before the 20th century. If you are more of a science museum fan, there is also a science museum available as well. You can also take in the sites of the park by looking at the remains of Edo Castle which burned down in 1873. All of this is just what is right around the park. If you are looking at Tokyo as a whole, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of more activities you can take part in.
What Can I Eat In Tokyo?
Like the section above, there are too many food venues to completely list off, but we can give you an idea of where you can go near the venue. If you are wanting to try authentic Japanese noodles, then you should head to Udon Muraka for a taste. Want to try Sushi instead? Go to Tsuruhachi and try some genuine Japanese sushi. If you go to Sushinoya Ichigaya, then you will have sushi and a bit more variety of seafood as well. If you want a meal or a snack that is quick and easy to pick up, then you should head to the 7-Eleven near the park. Although it may sound strange, Japanese 7-Eleven’s are packed with ready to carry out meals that do not taste like they have been sitting there for months. We recommend it if you are in a hurry. As you can see, there is plenty of food to choose from in Tokyo. You could honestly walk in any direction and find some food to eat.