Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA

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The biggest problem with visiting Japan and being a sports lover is finding out where the games are and how to get to the games.  While there is ample information about when the games are, it can be difficult to know how to get there; where to sit; and what to do at the games.  This is part of a series of posts designed to help you navigate to the stadium and enjoy the game as much as possible rather than getting lost in what to do.

*All information is valid as of the start of the 2018 season and subject to change.

*Note:  Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa is scheduled to be closed from mid-2018 till mid-2019 for renovations in preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Stadium Stats

  • Name: Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa
  • Location: Fukuroi, Shizuoka
  • Teams: Jubilo Iwata, Shimizu S-Pulse
  • Main Station: Aino Station (15 minute walk)
  • Capacity: 50,889

Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa

Team

Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA is the part-time home to both Jubilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse.  Jubilo Iwata has been in the J League since 1994 but in 2014 and 2015 they were a J2 club.  For most of their history they have been in the top tier, J1, and continue to be a consistent J1 team.

Shimizu S-Pulse is a founding member of the J1 tier and was relegated to J2 for the first in 2016.  In 2017 they were promoted back to J1.

Getting There

Getting to Aino Station is not difficult.  Aino Station is on the Tokaido Line but it isn’t a stop on the Shinkansen.  From Tokyo, the nearest Shinkansen stop is Kakegawa, using the Kodama service.  From Nagoya, Hamamatsu is the nearest Shinkansen stop.  Aino Station is serviced by the following line:

  • JR Tokaido Main Line

From Aino Station, head to the south exit and follow the main street directly to the stadium.

Seats

Jubilo Iwata

  • SS/S Seat (SS・S指定席) – Reserved Seats (Main Stand)
  • Zone Seat (ゾーン指定席) – Reserved Seats (Main Stand)
  • A/B/C Seat (A・B・C指定席) – Reserved Seats (Back Stand)
  • Free Zone Home (フリーゾーン ホーム) – Free Seating (Note: Home fans only)
  • Free Zone Away (フリーゾーン アウェイ) – Free Seating (Note: Away fans only)

*Discounts available to fan club members.

Seat Layout & Single Match Ticket Prices

Shimizu S-Pulse

Unfortunately Shimizu S-Pulse has no information on their seating charts for 2017 as of the publishing of this post.

Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa

Tickets

Jubilo Iwata

Jubilo Iwata does not offer English services for purchasing tickets.  Tickets can only be purchased with knowledge of Japanese or at the box office on the day of the game.  The main box office is located at West Gate of the stadium.

Note that tickets are usually released 1-2 months in advance.

Jubilo Iwata has many options for purchasing tickets in Japanese:

Shimizu S-Pulse

Most Shimizu S-Pulse games were available for sale on the official J League site in English, however as of the start of the 2018 season, tickets are no longer available in English:

Game day tickets can also be purchased at the main box office at the West Gate of the stadium.

Note that tickets are usually released 1-2 months in advance.

Shimizu S-Pulse has many options for purchasing tickets in Japanese:

Jubilo Iwata Supports Club

If you plan to watch many games, or buy a lot of merchandise, joining the fan club may be worthwhile.  It costs 4,000 JPY to for a 1 year membership, plus 1,000 JPY joining fee.  You get between 250 JPY and 700 JPY off every ticket purchased.  For 2018, if you purchase an annual pass for DAZN, the official streaming site for the J League, you get a 2,000 JPY coupon for use in their online store.  Members also get around a 10% discount on all merchandise purchased online at their official store.  The card is also used to track how often you go to games to win awards.

Same Day Tickets

Buying tickets on the day of the game, or at the stadium, is risk.  Shizuoka Stadium only hosts major games for Jubilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse due to the high demand for tickets.  While the stadium is unlikely to sell out due to its capacity, there is no guarantee that there will be tickets on the day of the game.

View from the Back Stand Seats near the Home Stand Seats

Club Merchandise

Prior to the games, Jubilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse set up a plaza in front of the main gate on the west side of Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA.  There are a few tents with club merchandise, local items, and even a few visiting fan merchandise items.

Inside the stadium, there are small merchandise shops at each corner but selection is limited.

Festival area outside the Stadium with Merchandise Shops

Information