Kumagaya Athletic Stadium is located in the Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park, which was built on the site of the Saitama Exposition.
Here, the Omiya Ardija of the J-League sometimes hold a few home matches a year.
Getting to the Stadium
If you are coming from far away by train, the nearest station is Kumagaya Station. Kumagaya Station is served by the Shinkansen bullet train, limited express trains, the Takasaki Line, and the Shonan Line.
Get off at this station and go out the north exit.
Basically, on days when there is a game, there is a shuttle bus that leaves from Kumagaya Station.
This bus is the most common way to get there.
From the station to the stadium, there is a single road, but the 4 km walk here is somewhat strenuous, especially on bad weather days. Please make your decision based on the weather and the shuttle bus service on the day.
About the bus stop
On the day of the game, the staff will guide you where to take the shuttle bus, so please follow the instructions. Basically, Kumagaya Station has a north exit and a south exit, but there are no buses except for the north exit, so you should go to the north exit anyway.
If you want to go to the stadium only on days when there is no game, go out the north exit and take bus No. 3, which is bound for Kumagaya Dome or Kumagaya Culture and Sports Park.
Basic Information
What to bring
Compared to countries such as the U.S., events in Japan are relatively free in terms of what you can bring in, and there are very few venues where you cannot bring in a backpack.
As for drinks, please note that there are some events where you cannot bring in cans or bottles.
About re-entry
Many events in Japan allow re-entry, but it depends on the event.
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium may also depend on the event, so please check the event you will be watching.
*Events such as the Japan vs. South Africa game were not allowed to re-enter.
Food and Drink
On Gameday, there is a zone where you can buy food and drinks after entering the venue.
Around the venue
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium
In the Kumagaya Cultural Sports Park, there is Kumagaya Rugby Stadium where the Rugby World Cup was held in 2019.
Shops
A store called "Cap Rugger's CLUBHOUSE KUMAGAYA" will open at the Kumagaya Rugby Ground in June 2020.
It will sell rugby equipment, etc., and will also serve food and drink in a cafe-like style.
Due to the effects of the coronavirus, it seems that food and drink cannot be served inside the store for the time being, but you can see inside the stadium from this store, so if you can have a meal even when there is no game, you can spend a moment while watching the stadium.
Cap Rugger's CLUBHOUSE KUMAGAYA
Location: 810 Kamikawakami, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, 360-0004, Japan
Tel: 048-598-8084
This store is attached to the rugby stadium.
Kumagaya Sports Culture Park, where Kumagaya Rugby is held, is the largest park in the northern part of Saitama Prefecture, with a rugby field, several rugby grounds, the Kumagaya Dome, an athletic field, and other facilities.
Therefore, it is quite a distance just to move around the park, so it is not necessarily close because it is in the park, but there is a restaurant called Kumadon in the Sports Culture Park.
However, there is also a restaurant called Kumadon in the Sports Culture Park, where you can eat udon noodles, etc. If you don't mind walking, you should try it. From the rugby field, head towards the dome side, and it will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
Farmer's Restaurant Kumadon
Location 810 Kamikawakami, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0004, Japan
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The restaurant is located in the park, but it is at least a 10-minute walk from the rugby field.
Explore Saitama
Travel Tips & Information
Here is the basic information about Saitama as a reference for planning your trip.
1. "Getting there & Around" Kumagaya, Fukaya, Honjo
This is the northern area of Saitama Prefecture.
For access by train, the "Kagohara Station" on the Takasaki Line is a key point. This Kagohara becomes the first station of the Takasaki Line to Tokyo or an additional station of the train.
Therefore, it makes Kagohara a border and the convenience to Tokyo changes extremely.
In the Fukaya station and the Honjo station from Gunma than Kagohara, the number of the Takasaki Line is few, and the waiting time becomes long by the separation work.
Kumagaya is a station where the Shinkansen stops, and there is also a connection to the JR conventional line, but be aware that Honjo-Waseda station is about 2 km away from Honjo station, and there are no other options other than the Shinkansen.
Basically, in the northern part of the prefecture, you need a car.
Therefore, it is better to take the train to Kumagaya and rent a car to get around the area.
2. "Where to Stay" in Kumagaya, Fukaya, Honjo
It's not an area where you can stay and do things.
There are a few business hotels in front of the station.
In the case of Fukaya Station, there is the Grand Hotel near the station, which is a little higher in rank than a business hotel, but basically the last train to Tokyo goes until about 11pm, so please consider the merits of staying there before making a reservation.
3. "What to Do & See" in Kumagaya, Fukaya, Honjo
The memorial hall of Shibusawa Eiichi, the man whose name was printed on the 10,000 yen bill, is located in Fukaya City.
However, it is about 10 kilometers away from Fukaya Station, which is a bit far.
The indoor pool, Patio, is one of the largest indoor pools in the northern Kanto area.
In Kumagaya, there is a famous temple in Menuma, Menuma Shotenzan.
However, Menuma is in Saitama, which is more like Gunma, so getting there from the station can be a challenge.
The nationally famous Gali Gali Kun(ice cream)used to have a factory in Fukaya, but now they have built a new factory in Honjo City, which seems to be the main factory.
For factory tours, etc., visit the Honjo Senbon Sakura "5S" Factory in Honjo City.
4. "What / Where to Eat" in Kumagaya, Fukaya, Honjo
Fukaya is famous for its niboto.
Of course, there are stores that serve niboutou in the city, but most Fukaya residents eat niboutou at home by simmering udon noodles and vegetables, and probably do not go out to eat it. For this reason, even if you were to ask for a famous restaurant that serves nibbou, most citizens would probably not be able to find it right away.
You can buy a pack of Shinkichi at a supermarket (Belk, Yaoko, Ario) and try making it at home, or you can refer to the Fukaya City website for restaurants where you can eat it.
Kumagaya is "fry", I guess.
Fry is a kind of grilled food like okonomiyaki.
It is different from the jelly fries of Gyoda.
