Shizuoka Stadium opened in 2001 and hosted its first major event on May 12, 2001, which was the
Shizuoka derby J. League match between
Shimizu S-Pulse and
Júbilo Iwata. A record crowd of 52,959 saw an extra time 1-0 victory for Shimizu. Ecopa continues to be the venue for Júbilo Iwata's more high-profile games, including the
Shizuoka derby. Shimizu S-Pulse have not used the stadium for a home league since
2015. In recent years Ecopa has also been home to one semifinal match of the
Emperor's Cup, sharing the duty with the
Kokuritsu in
Shinjuku,
Tokyo. But, due to its isolation and the fact that both semifinals are held at the same time, Ecopa usually has less attendance. The stadium played host to some matches during the
2002 FIFA World Cup, including Belgium versus Russia in the group stage (which Belgium won 3–2) and the quarter-final match between Brazil and England, which Brazil won 2–1. It hosted the 2003 58th
National Sports Festival of Japan main stadium. The stadium was used as one of the venues for
2019 Rugby World Cup (Japan) which was the first
Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia. Next to the stadium is the indoor
Ecopa Arena which is used for various performances and shows. ==Access==