Japanese convention center in the Mihama-ku of Chiba city
| Makuhari Messe |
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 Exterior view of the North Hall in 2012 |
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| Address | 2–1, Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, 261-8550, Japan |
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| Location | Greater Tokyo Area |
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| Owner | Makuhari Messe, Inc. |
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| Opened | 9 October 1989; 34 years ago (1989-10-09) |
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| Expanded | October 1997; 26 years ago (1997-10) |
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Classroom-style seating | 304 (International Conference Room) |
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| Banquet/ballroom | 1,600 (Convention Hall) |
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Theatre seating | 7,860 (Makuhari Event Hall) |
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| • Total space | 168,578 m2 (1,814,560 sq ft) |
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| • Exhibit hall floor | 72,000 m2 (780,000 sq ft) |
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| • Ballroom | 4,488 m2 (48,310 sq ft) |
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| Public transit access | East Japan Railway Company (JR East):
JE Keiyo Line at Kaihimmakuhari |
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| www.m-messe.co.jp/en/ |
Makuhari Messe (幕張メッセ) is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba City, in the northwest corner of Chiba Prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. Makuhari is the name of the area, and Messe is a German language word meaning "trade fair".
The convention center opened on 9 October 1989. It hosts many high-technology events.
Makuhari Messe is close to Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, and to Chiba prefecture's black sand beaches. It is accessible from Kaihimmakuhari station on the Keiyō Line of East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The center is the host of the annual Tokyo Auto Salon (modified car show, in January), the biennial Tokyo Motor Show (in October), the annual Tokyo Game Show (video game hardware and software exhibition, in September), the annual Jump Festa (manga, anime, and video game exposition, in December), and the biannual Wonder Festival (toys, scale figures, and garage kits exposition, in February and July). The venue was host to several Nintendo Space World events.
It was the venue for several sports during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Notable events
On 14–15 June 1997, the first official Pokémon Trading Card Game tournament was held here.[1]
On 31 July 1999, rock band Glay held Glay Expo '99 Survival in the venue's parking lot. The concert garnered a total audience of 200,000 people, making it the largest-ticketed concert ever held by a single act at the time, as certified by the Guinness World Records.[2][3]
Since 2000, the center has been used for the Summer Sonic music festival every year, where the venue hosts the Mountain and Sonic stages.
On 2–3 November 2002, Red Hot Chili Peppers hosted a gig as part of the By the Way Tour.
On 19 September 2009, The Black Eyed Peas performed a concert as part of their The E.N.D. World Tour.
On 23–24 April 2011, Australian singer Kylie Minogue performed as part of her Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour.[4]
The venue was noted in 2005 for hosting the first round of the worldwide Live 8 string of concerts.
On 1 July 2005, the company that owns the convention center changed its name from "Nippon Convention Center" to "Makuhari Messe".
From 19 to 21 July 2008, Lucasfilm presented a Star Wars Celebration Japan event at the venue to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Japanese premiere of Star Wars.[5]
The "Jack in the Box 2009 Summer" convention was held here on 15 August 2009, where numerous well-known acts performed,[6] including the reunion performance of influential metal band Dead End.[7]
American pop singer Lady Gaga performed in the arena for the first time, as part of her debut headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour, during the Summer Sonic Festival, on 8 August 2009[8] and for MTV Video Music Aid Japan in 2011.[9]
The center hosted the Magic: The Gathering World Championship in 2010.
It was scheduled to host the Anime Contents Expo, hosted by the Comic-10 Shakai in March 2011 to counter the Tokyo International Anime Fair as part of their boycott of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government under Governor Shintarō Ishihara, but both events were cancelled after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[10] The first Anime Contents Expo was held on 31 March and 1 April 2012, and was visited by 42,000 people.[11]
The Korean girl group, 2NE1, performed here as part of their Nolza tour here on 1–2 October 2011.
The Japanese band The Gazette held various concerts there, including their 10th-anniversary concert on 10 March 2012.
The heavy metal annual festival tour Ozzfest took place here on 11–12 May 2013. This was the festival's first appearance in Japan.[12][13][14][15]
Kawaii metal band Babymetal has played a number of concerts here including the Legend 1997 show on 21 December 2013 for singer Su-metal's 16th birthday, which was recorded for live DVD. On their 2015 World Tour, they would again play here and release the performance on live DVD as part of the Trilogy: Metal Resistance Episode III – Apocalypse limited edition DVD set available only to members of "The One".[16][17]
One Direction's Final Leg of their Take Me Home Tour was held in the International Exhibition Halls 7 and 8.[18]
Mariah Carey performed in the arena for the first time, as part of her The Elusive Chanteuse Show on 4 October 2014.[19]
The Metal festival "Knotfest Japan" was held here on 15–16 November 2014.
As an epilogue to their 25th anniversary, Luna Sea hosted the rock festival Lunatic Fest on 27–28 June 2015.[20] Other acts include Siam Shade, Dir en grey, 9mm Parabellum Bullet and Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas the first night and Glay, Mucc and Alexandros the second.[21]
Techno-Pop group Perfume performed at concerts 16, 18, and 19 June 2016.
It has been the venue of Magical Mirai, an annual Vocaloid exhibition and concert held usually during the end of August or early September, featuring Hatsune Miku since 2016.[22]
On 2–3 December 2017, the trance-pop duo fripSide performed at the venue for their “crossroads 2017–2018 tour”. In 2017 and 2018, it held the obstacle course show Kunoichi.
Ariana Grande played three shows at the arena for her 2017 Dangerous Woman Tour performing to over 52,000 people.[23]
Makuhari Messe became the venue for four sports during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The sports of fencing, taekwondo, karate, and wrestling were originally to be staged at Tokyo Big Sight. This move was a part of cost-cutting measures implemented by the organisers.[24][25] Karate has since been moved to the Nippon Budokan. Assigned halls for the Games are:[26]
Lucasfilm is scheduled to present another Star Wars Celebration Japan event at the venue from 18 to 20 April 2025.[27]
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