We Visited Sanfrecce Hiroshima's New Stadium, "Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima"! There's also a Giant Mural of Captain Tsubasa

The new soccer stadium "Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima" has opened in the heart of Hiroshima. Drawing attention as the new home ground for Sanfrecce Hiroshima and the women's team Regina, this venue is not only equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for watching matches, but is also popular as a tourist spot with a variety of attractions, including a soccer museum, an official store, and even a specially commissioned mural by Yoichi Takahashi, the world-renowned creator of "Captain Tsubasa."

This time, the "FUN! JAPAN" editor not only toured the stadium, but also experienced the stadium tour and watched a match in person. We bring you a report from the site, sharing the appeal of Hiroshima's new soccer sanctuary, "Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima."

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When Did Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima Stadium Open? Location, Capacity, and Features

"Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima" opened in February 2024 as Japan's first "stadium in the city." It is located in the heart of Hiroshima, within Hiroshima Castle Park. With JR Hiroshima Station and the World Heritage Site "Atomic Bomb Dome" within walking distance, its excellent accessibility is also a major attraction.

The stadium covers an area of about 49,900 square meters and has a capacity of approximately 28,500 people. It serves as the home ground for "Sanfrecce Hiroshima" and the women's team "Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina," and on home game days, it is bustling with supporters dressed in purple uniforms.

Additionally, as the stadium is designed exclusively for soccer, the pitch is very close to the stands, allowing spectators to enjoy matches with an incredible sense of presence due to proximity. The seats are spacious, and together with state-of-the-art sound systems, large video screens, and a wide variety of stadium gourmet options, the venue offers the ultimate matchday experience for fans from both Japan and abroad.

Inside the stadium, you’ll also find the “Hiroshima Soccer Museum,” which introduces the history of soccer in Hiroshima, as well as the “Peace Wing Official Store,” where you can purchase uniforms and merchandise. These facilities make the stadium a fun destination even for sightseeing.

The History of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Regina’s Success: Producing Numerous Japan National Team Players

Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a leading soccer club representing Hiroshima in the J.League. The club’s name, “Sanfrecce,” combines the Japanese word for “three” (“San”) and the Italian word for “arrows” (“frecce”). It is inspired by the legend of “The Three Arrows” associated with Motonari Mori, symbolizing the team’s unity and strength.

The story of “The Three Arrows” tells how Motonari Mori taught his three sons the importance of unity by showing that while a single arrow can be easily broken, three arrows bundled together cannot be broken.

An essential part of the club’s history is its track record of producing numerous Japan national team players. The current Japan national team manager, Hajime Moriyasu, also played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima and, after retiring, led the team to three J1 League championships as manager. Other famous players from the youth academy include Toshihiro Aoyama and Takuma Asano.

In particular, the club’s youth development system is among the best in the J.League, with new players signing professional contracts from the academy almost every year. The sight of academy graduates joining the top team and then moving on to overseas clubs is one reason why Hiroshima is known as a “treasure trove of soccer talent.”

Furthermore, the women’s team “Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina” was established in 2021 and is now active in Japan’s professional women’s soccer league, the WE League. “Regina” means “queen” in Italian, and as the name suggests, the team aims to become the “queen” of the women’s league.

Until now, Sanfrecce Hiroshima did not have a women’s division, so the team started from scratch, but they achieved back-to-back league championships in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025! Hiroshima is truly a city where you can enjoy top-level soccer, regardless of gender.

Don’t Miss the Giant Mural by “Captain Tsubasa” Creator Yoichi Takahashi! Must-See Spot at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima

If you visit the stadium, be sure to stop by the special giant mural “Peace Wall,” created by world-renowned soccer manga artist Yoichi Takahashi, the creator of “Captain Tsubasa,” during your sightseeing or before the match. This impressive work measures 8.62 meters wide and 2 meters high, and features a famous scene where the main character, Tsubasa Ozora, declares, “I want to appeal for world peace through soccer,” combined with an illustration of the stadium.

Inside the stadium, you’ll also find nine murals called the “Dream Wall.” Each of these works expresses dreams and hopes through soccer, creating an inspiring space that will move not only fans but all visitors.

Popular Interactive Games! Learn About Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s History at the Hiroshima Soccer Museum

At the “Hiroshima Soccer Museum” inside the stadium, you’ll be greeted by the mascots Sanche-kun and Frecce-chan. Admission is 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students.

Inside the museum, you can trace the history of football culture in Hiroshima, with exhibits ranging from the beginnings of the sport in the region to displays of Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s past uniforms, trophies, and photo panels highlighting the achievements of its players. For longtime supporters, it’s a nostalgic experience, while first-time visitors will find it a great opportunity to learn more about the club.

Another popular attraction is the interactive football games, which you can play for free. There are three types in total, including a penalty shootout against a goalkeeper projected on a giant screen, a dribbling speed challenge, and a passing accuracy contest. Our editorial team couldn’t help but get competitive and try to score! On match days, these games are especially popular with families.

A Full Range of Supporter Goods and Hiroshima Souvenirs! Enjoy Shopping at the Peace Wing Official Store

Of course, the stadium features the “Peace Wing Official Store,” fully stocked with Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Regina supporter goods! In addition to the classic uniforms and towel scarves, there are plenty of unique items that you’ll want to pick up.

One item that caught our eye was the penlight, which changes its lighting in sync with the soccer match production. This is truly a supporter good unique to a stadium equipped with the latest technology.

We also discovered the “Soccer Ball Honey Caramel Flavor,” a collaboration with Nishikido, the long-established confectioner famous for Hiroshima’s signature Momiji Manju. With its cute appearance, it’s perfect as a souvenir or as a snack during the match.

In addition to team merchandise, the store also offers a variety of Hiroshima souvenirs, making it clear why the stadium is such a popular tourist spot.

Access to Areas Normally Off-Limits! Experience a Special Stadium Tour

This time, the FUN! JAPAN editors joined a stadium tour, which is held irregularly on non-match days only. The basic course, which includes admission to the museum, costs 1,800 yen for adults (high school students and above) and 1,600 yen for elementary and junior high school students.

There are three types of tours in total. The main attraction is that you get to visit areas that are usually off-limits. Plus, you can enjoy hearing behind-the-scenes stories about the players and the team from the guide—something unique to this tour. From here, we’ll introduce some of the most memorable spots we visited on the tour.

The Players’ Locker Room

First, let's take a look at the players' locker room. The space is based on the team's signature color, purple, and the ceiling features the club's symbol, the "Three Arrows." Standing there in person, we felt as if we had become one of the players ourselves, and our posture naturally straightened.

By the way, since the women's team, Regina, also uses this room, the nameplates with the jersey numbers are removable. There are even charging stations for mobile phones inside the lockers, and we couldn't help but exclaim, "How thoughtful!" at these detailed touches.

Warming-Up Room

This is the warming-up room, with mirrors covering one side of the walls and training equipment lined up. The players carefully prepare their bodies here right up until the start of the match. And to our surprise, the floor is artificial turf!

Players' Entrance

And the biggest highlight is the players' entrance that leads out to the pitch. The moment we stood in that familiar scene from TV, we got goosebumps.

Stepping out onto the pitch and looking up at the stands, we were once again amazed at how close they are. The shortest distance is only 8 meters, so you can really feel the strong sense of unity with the supporters. It's also the perfect spot for commemorative photos, and we editors couldn't help but smile our biggest smiles for the camera.

We also got a close look at the bench seats where the players sit. We were even allowed to sit on them, and they were so soft and comfortable!

Depending on the type of tour, you may even get to "experience a joining press conference from the perspective of a new player." For more details, please check the official website.

Exciting Performances! Watching Soccer at the Stadium

Finally, it was time for the much-anticipated match! This time, we watched Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina vs. INAC Kobe Leonessa. Speaking of Leonessa, they are a prestigious team that produced former Japan national team captain Homare Sawa. Even before kickoff, the stadium was filled with a unique tension that only comes before a match.

At the moment the players entered, flames shot up and the whole stadium instantly heated up! Surrounded by the cheers of the crowd, the match began. In the first half, Kobe had many attacking moments, and we found myself thinking, "This surely is dangerous..." On the big screen, Sanche-kun was also cheering hard together with the fans.

But in the 42nd minute, Hiroshima Regina’s forward Mami Ueno scored a goal! The long-awaited opening goal sent the entire stadium into a frenzy of joy.

We couldn’t help but shout “Mami~~!!” together with the team's supporters (laughs).

Then came halftime. On this day, there was a special performance—fireworks lit up the sky!

The music and the glow of penlights synchronized, creating an overwhelming atmosphere, and the fireworks blooming in the night sky made it even more exciting. It felt just like a summer festival, and we couldn’t help but think, “Is this really a soccer match!?”

Penlights really were a must-have item... But don’t worry, you can easily buy them at the concession stands on the concourse even after the match has started.

There were also plenty of stadium gourmet options, including collaboration foods with players, making eating while watching the match one of the highlights.

In the second half, Kobe launched a fierce attack, and in the 82nd minute, Mizuki Ota scored to tie the game. With little time left, we were about to give up, thinking “It’s going to end in a draw...”, but then, in additional time, a dramatic turn of events! Hiroshima Regina’s relentless offense forced a mistake from Kobe, resulting in an unexpected own goal. The stadium held its breath for a moment, then erupted in a thunderous cheer! Hiroshima Regina secured a brilliant home victory.

Actually, for us editors, while we had experience watching men’s soccer, this was our first time watching a women’s match. We were overwhelmed by the unexpectedly powerful play, and the cute performances added a special touch. After the match, everyone agreed, “Let’s go see the women’s league again!” It was truly a memorable experience.

Fun for Soccer Fans and Tourists Alike! Visit Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima

In addition to the thrilling, up-close action and diverse performances that make for an exciting match experience, there are also plenty of highlights such as stadium tours that let you see things from the players’ perspective and a museum where you can learn about the history of soccer in Hiroshima. It’s a stadium that can be enjoyed not only by soccer fans but also by anyone. If you visit Hiroshima, be sure to stop by in person!

Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima