Ajinomoto Stadium

Ajinomoto Stadium opened in Chōfu under a different name entirely — Tokyo Stadium — and it took the naming-rights deal with its namesake company, effective from March 2003, to give it the identity it carries now. That transaction mattered beyond the branding: it was the first time a stadium in Japan had sold its name to a sponsor.

The pitch itself splits down the middle in a way that shapes how it's used. The football surface is natural turf, while the surrounding running track and wider grounds are artificial.

It shares its tenants unusually: FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy, both in the J1 League, call it home together. The national football and rugby teams have also used it for major fixtures, and its biggest moments arrived close together — the opening ceremony, the opening match and the bronze-medal game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, followed a year later by football at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, staged under the old Tokyo Stadium name in line with IOC naming policy for Games venues.

Through all of that, the capacity has stayed exactly as it was on opening day.