Main Arena,
OPEN HOUSE ARENA OTA

Jan. 16,2024

Sports and Entertainment FacilityIndoor Arena

Project Description

Opened a community co-creation arena to enhance the attractiveness of Ota

OPEN HOUSE ARENA OTA opened in April 2023. This facility is expected to be a new landmark in Ota, Gunma Prefecture. It is a community co-creation arena built by a trinity of the sports, government and private sectors with the aim of serving as a place where local residents can gather and a new community can be nurtured.

The seating capacity of the main arena is 5,000. This satisfies the standards of the B.LEAGUE based on the use of the facility as the hometown arena of the Gunma Crane Thunders team in the Japan Professional Basketball League. The compact size of the arena suits Ota with its population of 220,000. Nonetheless, its interior is packed with a number of ideas which produce one of the best environments to watch games in Japan.

Spectator seating which creates a sense of unity throughout the venue

The audience seating consists of three types of seats arranged in a cone shape around the center court. The seats closest to the court are highly cushioned courtside folding seats. Behind them, across the aisle, you will find the retractable seating indispensable for an arena where people enjoy sports and events.

There are numerous advantages to retractable seating. It is possible to create stair-shaped audience seating only when it is needed. It is possible to store the seating compactly when it is not needed. The stair shape makes it easy to view events even from the seats at the back. It is also possible to set up seats which can be sat in comfortably when watching games for a long period of time. However, the setup advantages do not stop there. The stair-shaped retractable seating makes it possible to create continuous seating from the front row on the first floor up to the back row on the upper floor. This produces a sense of unity throughout the venue. The 5,000 audience members become absorbed and cheer in delight and cry in sorrow at the developments of the game unfolding on the court before them. Retractable seating is essential for creating that kind of connection.

The retractable seating is equipped with seats in the Lux series which comfortably support the body of users with their wide backrests. The top of the backrest is high at 870 mm from the floor. This provides firm support up to the upper back of users.
Fixed seats stand at the top of the retractable seating. These are seats in the BLM-8000 series characterized by their slimness when not in use. It is possible to ensure aisles of 570 mm with respect to the 850 mm front-to-back pitch of the seats. This enables smooth passage.

VIP area brimming with a special atmosphere

Seven VIP rooms and a suite lounge have been set up at the top of the ribbon jumbo screen which encircles the arena.

Balcony seats are found beyond the private rooms equipped with sofa and table sets in the VIP rooms. The seats are luxurious with ample cushioning on the backrest and seat. Users can lean back, relax and spend a luxurious time enjoying the atmosphere of the arena together with the other guests.

A suite lounge has been set up to the side of the VIP rooms. In addition to table sets where it is possible to really enjoy conversation and eating and counter seats where it is possible to casually have fun while watching the game, 24 luxurious seats of the same type as in the VIP room have been placed here. This makes it possible to spend time in a place and style to suit each user.

Facility Overview

OPEN HOUSE ARENA OTA was built as a new symbol of Ota, Gunma Prefecture. A donation from Open House Group Co.,LTD., the owners of the Gunma Crane Thunders B.LEAGUE basketball team, via the Ota City Community Revitalization Support Tax Program (the corporate of the “furusato nozei” hometown tax) was used to cover some of the construction costs. The facility is attracting attention as an approach to solving community issues through collaboration of a trinity of the team, government and companies.

The 5,000-capacity arena is equipped with a number of features to allow users to enjoy games with even more punch. For example, the arena is equipped with one of Japan’s largest mobile center jumbo screens, the world’s highest level sound system and theater-style lighting which makes the court appear to float. This is the birth of a cutting-edge arena where everyone can enjoy basketball as entertainment.