Big Arch Stadium

This 50,000 capacity sports stadium, built for the Asian Games, is the home ground of Hiroshima's professional soccer team Sanfrecce.

Access by public transport:

From downtown (Hondori)
Take the Astram Line from Hondori Station to Koiki Koen-mae Station (36min), from there it is a 5 - 10 minute walk.

From Hiroshima Station
Take the Kabe Line train from Hiroshima Station to JR Omachi Station (20min. Then change to the Astram Line to Koiki Koen-mae Station(19min), from there it is a 5 - 10 minute walk.

From JR Shin-Inokuchi Station
25 minutes by shuttle bus from Alpark bus terminal (stop #5).
Adults: 380 yen one way
Children: 190 yen one way

"How football should be"
wc - Sun Sep 2005
This is really how football should be. If you haven't been to see Sanfrecce play I would recommend you do. Even if you're not that interested in Football, like going to see the Carp, seeing how the Japanese 'do' watching sport is an experience in itself. And if you're a football fan from Europe even more so. The crowd is roughly 40% kids to adults and those adults are 50/50 men and women. There is none of the snarling aggression of male filled European football stadiums. I say that as massive fan of European football, but going to a sporting event such as this just makes you realise how childishly macho the whole thing is elsewhere. Enough of the eulogy though, on the negative side, this beautiful stadium has no roof, so if you're only a casual spectator check the weather. And it's just too big. I've been lucky enough to go to two 'big' games where the crowds have been in excess of 20,000. Even then there is always going to be gaps in a 50.000 seater stadium. If Sanfrecce had a 25,000 purpose built stadium with no running track around it, it really would be a superb place to go and watch football, and the team would probably benefit too. Then again they already have 2 stadiums so another one would be a a bit greedy. If you fancy going once then try and choose a weekend game when the weather is looking good and a big team are in town. The quality of play isn't that of Real Madrid (far less nazis in the crowd too!) but then again it ain't Shrewsbury Town either. The J-league is a pretty competitive, well supported league whose attendances put many of the top flight European crowds to shame. You get a free bag too...