The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will be held in the summer of 2023. This year’s tournament will be held in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, and many people are looking forward to it as the first ever three-country event.
Japan will host the tournament in Okinawa Prefecture, a popular tourist destination both for locals and abroad. Since it is the first time for such a big tournament to be held in Okinawa, the whole prefecture is supporting the World Cup.
I am one of those Okinawans who support the World Cup. It has been 10 years since we moved to Okinawa due to my husband’s job transfer, and I am now an “Shima naicha”,(which means the people who moved from the main land Japan and lives in Okinawa) i who loves Okinawa very much.
In this issue,, I researched the “Okinawa Arena” where 20 preliminary round matches will be held! This article introduces the whole picture of the Okinawa Arena along with the growing popularity of basketball in Okinawa, where is heightened because of the presence of the U.S. military base
Basketball goal in the city? Basketball is a sport in everyday life
For Okinawans, where U.S. military bases and local culture are deeply rooted, basketball is a very familiar sport. Basketball rings are set up everywhere, near beaches, in supermarkets and in parks, etc.. Many people, from children to adults, can be seen enjoying the game.
Furthermore, in the Kadena Town and Okinawa City area, where many U.S. military personnel reside, 1×1 and 3×3 games are often started by people of any age or nationality who are there. In addition, there is the “Ryukyu-U.S. Friendship Tournament,” a game between high school students from the prefecture and high school students from the U.S. military bases, and there are over 300 elementary school teams (mini-bass, i.e. “youth basketball”). So you can imagine that basketball is a familiar sport for the people in Okinawa.
February 2021: Okinawa Arena was born!
The year after it was decided that the World Cup would be held in Okinawa, the Okinawa Arena was completed at Koza Sports Park in Moromisato, Okinawa City.
The Okinawa Arena will be the venue not only for basketball, the event of the World Cup, but also for volleyball, table tennis, martial arts, and other sports, as well as for live performances by popular artists such as the four-member hip-pop group Ketsumeishi and the popular two-male J-pop band, Dreams Come True. It is also used as a stage for various other events such as briefings and exhibitions.
It also hosts official B League games and is the home arena of the Ryukyu Golden Kings, whose hometown is Okinawa City.
Ryukyu Golden Kings are the winning team for the 2022-23 season
Citation from Press release
B-LEAGUE is the common name for the men’s professional basketball league in Japan. In the 2022-2023 season, “The Ryukyu Golden Kings” (the Kings), won their sixth consecutive district championship in the West Division. Their first championship in the West Division, which was a long-cherished dream for a team from the West Division.
“The Kings”, have many fans in Okinawa Prefecture, young and old, male and female, and their love of basketball is growing even more with this victory before the World Cup.
Okinawans are also eagerly awaiting! World Cup Featured Player
Slovenia: Luka Doncic
In 2012, at the young age of 13,Luka Dončić signed with a professional basketball team; in 2018, he entered the NBA and became the first teenager in history to score 1,100 total NBA points. His outstanding game-making ability, highly accurate outside shooting, and his 203 cm height as a point guard are not to be forgotten.
Japan: Yuki Togashi and Yuki Kawamura, W Yuki
Yuki Togashi participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is also called Japan’s representative PG and contributed to the Chiba Jets’ runner-up finish in the B-League 2022-23, and is aiming for first place in the Asian region at the FIBA World Cup 2023.
Yuki Kawamura was selected as a candidate for Japan’s national team in the U16 and U18 age groups, and his strong play since the start of the B-League 2022-23 season has attracted attention as he is the top-scoring Japanese player.
《Okinawa Arena》
Address: 1-16-1 Yamauchi, Okinawa City, Okinawa, Japan 904-0034
Phone number: 050-5444-1478
Official website: https://www.okinawa-arena.jp
Parking: Available *Parking operations during events differ from those during normal hours. Please check the parking lot on the official website of the event you are attending. Depending on the event, public transportation may be recommended.
In addition, there are also the Okinawa City Public Parking Lot (free of charge) and 24-hour parking lots (charged) near BC Koza, which can also be used.
Directions to Okinawa Arena
▶︎ By public transportation
・Take the highway bus from Naha Airport and get off at “Okinawa Minami IC”. Approximately 7 minutes on foot.
・Take the bus from Naha Bus Terminal and get off at “Okinawa City Athletic Park Mae”. Approximately 7 minutes on foot. Or, get off at “Gate 5” and walk about 5 minutes.
▶︎ By car
・Take Route 58 North and get off at Kokutai Road Entrance, and drive about 5 minutes via Kokutai Road.
・From the Okinawa Expressway, exit at the nearest interchange, “Okinawa South Interchange” (approx. 1 min.) or “Okinawa North Interchange” (approx. 12 min.).
・From the West Coast Resort Area, via Okinawa Expressway, exit at the nearest interchange (Ishikawa IC, Yaka IC, or Xuda IC) and exit at the “Okinawa South Interchange” (approx. 1 minute).
Recommended food around Okinawa Arena: Daruma Soba (Daruma Restaurant, Okinawa soba restaurant)
Daruma Soba is a light dish with pork bone and bonito broth, and is recommended for beginners. The sticky noodles are also very tasty.
Daruma Soba also offers a wide variety of set meals and other menu items that are generous in size.
Ordering is done by purchasing a meal ticket and handing it in. Because Okinawa City still retains an American culture, it is nice to see that many of the items on the menu are written in English.
Since take-out is also available, you can take the food back to your hotel before or after cheering at the arena. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of set menus that include rice, a main dish, and soup, making it the perfect place for those who want to enjoy a full meal.
《Daruma Soba (Daruma Restaurant)》
Address: 2-13-20 Yamazato, Okinawa City
Phone number: 098-932-8840
Business hours: 11:00 – 21:00
Regular Day Off: No holidays
Parking: Available
Okinawa is popular for its emerald beaches and tropical atmosphere. The summer of 2023 could be all about basketball in Okinawa.
Let’s cheer for the Japanese national team in Okinawa with the heat of summer!
Written by KONY
Translated by Rie
