At first there was a ``dangerous mood'' until the new Asia Para venue became a ``good space''

"The sight line (outlook) is solid. It's a nice space."

In September 2025, British musician Sting's live performance was held at IG Arena (Kita-ku, Nagoya, official name: Aichi International Arena). That's what Tadahiro Iriya (56) thought as he entered the wheelchair seat on the second floor.

“I felt like we created it together.”

As a Western music fan who knows the classics of yesteryear, it was a day I had been looking forward to. He got into an electric wheelchair and set out early with his helper.

The nearest station is Meijo Koen Station on the municipal subway. Exit the ticket gate and take the elevator located in the underground passageway to the second floor deck of the arena. I entered smoothly through the gate in front of me.

When the concert started, fans in the front row stood up. Even so, the wheelchair seats had a sufficient slope so that the view was not directly on my head or back. I was able to enjoy the live performance until the last encore song. "I felt a sense of unity with the audience. I also felt like we were building the arena together."

New arena designed by Kengo Kuma

The IG Arena is the only new construction planned by the prefecture as a replacement for the aging Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, ahead of the Asia-Asia Para Games, which promotes the use of existing facilities. A special purpose company, Aichi International Arena Co., Ltd., was responsible for everything from construction to operation using the PFI approach, and the stadium was completed in Meijo Park in the spring of 2025.

Architect Kengo Kuma designed the building's exterior, which is designed with wood arranged to reflect the park's natural surroundings. It is a 5-story building with a ceiling height of approximately 30 meters in the main arena. Equipped with the latest video and audio equipment, it can accommodate up to 17,000 people (including standing room). It will be the venue for basketball and judo at the Asian Games, and will host wheelchair basketball at the Asian Paralympic Games, which begin on the 18th.

Equipment that helps people with hearing loss improve their hearing

The facility is designed with accessibility in mind, with wheelchair seating that can be increased to about twice the national standard, a hearing loop to help people with hearing loss, a calm-down room to calm down, and many multifunctional restrooms.

The beginning is a “dangerous mood”

According to the prefecture and Arena, while referring to facilities such as the new National Stadium (Tokyo), they also repeatedly sought opinions from a wide range of groups, including people with disabilities, the elderly, and people raising children, based on prefectural regulations.

However, Iriya, who enjoyed Sting's live performance, recalls, ``At first, the mood was grim.''