Nagano U Stadium

The structure in Nagano carries a name chosen by the public rather than a sponsor. That design, which mirrors the Roman Colosseum, creates a bowl that catches the sun and lets the air move across the grass. The stadium sits within the Minami Nagano Sports Park complex, a cluster of facilities that includes the older Olympic venue. The original football pitch here held a far smaller crowd before the demolition in 2013 cleared the way for the current building. The rebuild was a swift operation, finishing in fourteen months to meet the requirements of the Japanese Football League.

From the outside, the roof overhangs the concrete terraces on long, white supports, casting a shadow over the entrances. The lower level is clad in grey metal, while the upper tiers are enclosed by glass and brown panels. A row of colourful flags lines the perimeter near the road, marking the boundary between the public space and the turnstiles. Inside, the stands are divided into sections. The main and home ends are covered, but the away end remains open to the sky, leaving the supporters exposed to the mountain air. The pitch itself is natural grass, maintained by an underground water system rather than under-soil heating.

The sideboards along the touchline display the Japanese characters for the local club, AC Nagano Parceiro, alongside sponsors from the region. The stands are filled with orange, the colour of the team, and the supporters hold banners that stretch across the rows. The stadium serves as the home ground for the men's and women's squads, hosting matches in the J3 League and the women's competition. There is a large screen above the main stand, though its function is limited to showing replays rather than the entire game. The capacity is fixed, and the atmosphere is shaped by the steepness of the tiers rather than the height of the roof.