The Ariake Arena was constructed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and was completed in December 2019, highlighting that Tokyo’s preparations are well on track. The venue has an iconic design, with a concave roof that reduces the indoor space in order to minimise the need for air conditioning and lighting.

The Ariake Arena will host volleyball at the Olympic Games. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will see 12 teams competing. There will be 16 days of competition – with the men’s final on Saturday 8 August and the women’s final on Sunday 9 August, the last day of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The venue is also set to host the wheelchair basketball tournaments during the Paralympic Games.

The Ariake Arena comprises a main arena and a “sub arena” and will have a seating capacity of 15,000 at Games time. After the Games, it will become a new hub of entertainment, sport and culture for the city of Tokyo. It will reopen in August 2021 and will then be operated by Tokyo Ariake Arena Inc., a new special-purpose company which has concluded Japan’s first ever concession agreement with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.