Shimizu S-Pulse are based in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City, founded in 1991 as an unusual original J.League club — built from Shizuoka-born players rather than converted from a company team. Their home, IAI Stadium Nihondaira, holds about 20,000.
Seating Guide
Besides the Main/Back stands (reserved seating on the east side), the goal-end areas here have actual seats and a roof — unusual for J.League, where standing terraces are the norm.
Tickets
Official tickets can be purchased through the English-language “S-PULSE TICKET” site.
The central goal-end zone, nicknamed the “Dragon Zone,” features Brazilian-style samba rhythms and Latin percussion — a distinctive feature among J.League supporter cultures. Their best-ever finish was J1 runner-up (1999); as Shizuoka is nicknamed the “homeland of Japanese football,” the in-prefecture rivalry with Jubilo Iwata is well known.
Tap the button below to see transit, walking, and driving directions from your current location to the stadium, via Google Maps.
💡 Insider Tips
🚌 Getting Around
A gameday-only shuttle bus from JR Shimizu station’s east exit takes about 20 minutes to the stadium (¥500 adult). A regular bus route also works — get off at “Nihondaira Sports Park Entrance” from the station’s west exit and walk about 10 minutes (about ¥320).
🏨 Lodging
Business hotels and Japanese ryokan serving Suruga Bay seafood kaiseki cluster around JR Shimizu station. There’s almost no lodging right by the stadium itself, so staying near the station and taking the shuttle is the practical approach.
🎟️ Tickets
Purchase through J.League Ticket or the club’s own “Palu-Chike” system — buyable from anywhere in the world with a credit card, no Japanese phone number required.
🗺️ Tourism Tie-in
Near the stadium in Nihondaira is the Nihondaira Ropeway (¥1,250 round trip), reaching Kunozan Toshogu (a shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the only National Treasure building in Shizuoka Prefecture) in just 5 minutes. It’s especially famous in late November to early December, when fall foliage and snow-capped Mt. Fuji appear together in the view.
🎁 Club Perks — a Korean player connection
Jong Tae-se (2015–2016), Kim Hyun-sung (loan, 2012), and Oh Se-hoon (former) have all played for Shimizu, and Won Du-jae, a Korean national team midfielder, joined on a full transfer in July 2026 — a timely detail.
💡 Insider Tips
Stadium food, nicknamed “Aistar Gourmet,” is abundant, offering Shizuoka specialties like Fujinomiya yakisoba alongside kebabs, ramen, and more.