Nagoya, Japan, May 21, 2026: Athletes coming to Japan for the first time this September will not only be able to make Asian Games history - they will be able to feel Japanese martial arts history, culture and tradition at the iconic Aichi Budokan.
The Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall, also known as the Aichi Budokan or martial arts centre, will feature two combat sports - kurash and jiu-jitsu - plus wushu during the 20thAsian Games from September 19 to October 4.
The first day of the second World Press Briefing in Nagoya on Thursday, May 21 included a venue tour that took in not only the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, venue for the opening and closing ceremony and athletics, but also the Budokan.
With its distinctive, stone temple-like entrance and extravagant elements of Japanese art within its walls, the venue nevertheless presents a modern battle ground for combat sports.
The main dojo (hall) will feature two mats on the oak floor within the 1,518 sq m area. It has a seating capacity of 2,224 comprised of 1,504 permanent seats and 720 movable seats.
The list of sports suitable for the Budokan includes judo, kendo, table tennis, badminton, volleyball and even archery, so kurash and jiu-jitsu will offer alternative sports for the local people, while the beauty and intensity of wushu will also provide top-class viewing.
Kurash, which hails from Uzbekistan in Central Asia, and jiu-jitsu, which began in Japan but is enjoying a resurgence in Asia from its base in the United Arab Emirates, reflect the sports diversity in the continent, and wushu is a favourite hailing from China.
The venue tour enabled the press, including sports reporters and photographers, to check on the facilities and services crucial to their work such as designated press tribunes in the stands, the location of the mixed zone for carrying out interviews with athletes immediately after competition, positions for photographers and the location of the venue press centres.
The WPB will continue on Friday, May 22 with a presentation by organising committee AINAGOC at Port Messe Nagoya – location of the Main Media Centre for the Asian Games.
