Tokyo -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., announced today it has acquired the naming rights to International Stadium Yokohama, the venue for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final, and will rename the facility "Nissan Stadium" as of March 1, 2005.
Nissan will pay 470 million yen a year to Yokohama City for the rights, which will last five years.
"We are delighted to partner with Yokohama City on this initiative, which precedes Nissan's move to Yokohama in 2010," said Norio Matsumura, executive vice president in charge of global sales and marketing at Nissan. "Through this partnership, we plan to promote sports and cultural activities at the stadium, as well as contribute to the regional economy."
On June 24, Nissan announced its decision to transfer its Tokyo headquarters functions and build a new headquarters at Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama City in 2010. Nissan was established in Yokohama City in 1933, and the city remains its registered headquarters. Nissan owns 18 facilities in Kanagawa, including the Yokohama engine assembly plant (Yokohama City), Oppama vehicle assembly plant (Yokosuka City) and Nissan Technical Center (Atsugi City), an R&D facility. The company employs about 24,000 workers in the area.
International Stadium Yokohama, which opened in March 1998, seats 72,327 people, making it the biggest stadium in Japan. The facility, which is used for both domestic and international sports games, is also home to Nissan's J-League soccer team, the Yokohama F · Marinos.
Nissan plans to hold an opening event to celebrate renaming of the stadium during the opening match of the 2005 J-League Division 1 hosted by the Yokohama F · Marinos.
As part of Thursday's agreement with Yokohama City, Nissan also acquired the
naming rights to Kozukue Stadium and Sports Community Plaza, adjoining facilities to International Stadium Yokohama. The two facilities will be renamed " Nissan Field Kozukue" and " Nissan Water Park," respectively.
International Stadium Yokohama, which is owned by Yokohama City, is managed by Yokohama Sports Promotion Enterprise Inc. The stadium has a surface area of 164,054 m2 and a building area of 67,050 m2 . The facility includes a 106 m x 73 m natural grass field, as well as a Class-1 certified, all-weather, urethane-surface track consisting of nine 400-meter lanes.