Nippon Budokan

This is a sports arena with comfortable seating and excellent views. Even from the highest seats, the playing field feels close, and all details are clearly visible. Inside the building, a corridor surrounds the competition venue, with walls listing the winners of various martial arts competitions over the years.

Iconic music/sports venue. Conveniently located in the center of Tokyo. Arena space is quite small, which is good if you are in it because it's close to the action.

Iconic concert venue. It still stands as a great place to see concerts because of its relatively large capacity (15k?), yet intimate layout. To me, the acoustics isn’t amazing, but also not bad. Apparently Eric Clapton likes the sound of the room, and he's played there a lot, so perhaps it's a nice sounding venue for the performers.

CYNDI LAUPER Girls Wanna Just Have Fun FAREWELL TOUR - Nippon Budokan 2025.4.22

We were there for an Eric Clapton concert, and the concert was great. The venue is quite dated though, and being somewhat typical westerners we don't fit the Japanese ideal for size. The seating is very small and not terribly comfortable. And there's only one path to the venue from the street so foot traffic really bottlenecks. Now, that being said, it was a bucket list item for me to see a concert there because it has hosted so many noteworthy concerts over the years. I don't regret seeing this show, but I probably won't return unless it's an absolute can't miss.

We came at pretty late so it was close. But from the outside, AMAZING. It reminds of Taj Mahal because when I look on top of the building, it is kinda familiar. It’s like a huge stadium where events occur like sumos tournament, the Olympics, etc…

We held a competition here—a Shorinji kempo competition! It's a nice and huge place!

The Nippon Budokan, located in Tokyo, is a renowned concert venue that has hosted numerous important music performances since 1962, spanning various genres including rock, pop, jazz, and more. It's not only a holy ground for music enthusiasts in Japan but also attracts many internationally acclaimed artists to perform. Renowned for its unique design and excellent acoustics, it's a coveted stage for many musicians. The designer of the Nippon Budokan is Kenzo Tange, one of the most important architects of the 20th century and a pioneer of modern architecture in Japan. The design emphasizes functionality and practicality to accommodate various types of activities, including concerts, martial arts performances, and sports events. It showcases modernist aesthetics with clean geometric shapes and clear structures, while also incorporating traditional Japanese elements such as courtyard-like designs and a harmonious natural environment. Be joining a concert in Budokan is definitely a must do list for life!

Literal translation of Budokan is "the institute/house of the way of martial" and indeed, traditional combat arts like Karate/Judo are often hosted here. Also, it has been the Mecca for music artists - especially big ones like Bryan Adams, Toto, Queen, Beatles(!), Ozzy and many others.. I've been here for Bryan Adams and Mr. BIG. The acoustics is great thanks to the disk shape building and has no obstructed views. And the staffs are well coordinated so that both entry/exit have been very smooth for both occasions. Only downside is.. no alcohol or foods are served. You can still get soft drinks from the vending machines just enough to avoid dehydration. But if you are really into music and/or combat arts, you don't need the power of alcohol to enjoy yourself, do you?