Just a few months into its life as a B-League basketball venue, LaLa arena Tokyo-Bay, the new home of the Chiba Jets, has become a model for sports stadium developments in Japan.

Chiba, long one of the league’s most popular teams, is projecting record revenues, while the economic impact is also being felt by businesses in the area surrounding the 11,000-seat arena in Funabashi near Tokyo.

The Jets are regularly drawing home crowds over 10,000, with the attendance partly attributed to the excitement surrounding the opening of the arena developed by the team’s owner, IT firm Mixi Inc., in conjunction with real estate giant Mitsui Fudosan Co.

Made specifically with basketball in mind, the arena, which officially opened for business in May, features steeply banked upper-tier seating designed to make spectators furthest from the court still feel close to the action.

The move to the new venue has been accompanied by the Jets’ signing of one of the biggest names in Japanese basketball, national team star and former NBA swingman Yuta Watanabe, who has become the face of the franchise alongside longtime guard Yuki Togashi.

“We have two star players, and the quality of the games will be excellent. The new arena is also worthy of being a tourist spot,” said Jets President Masaya Tamura, who wants the venue to rival nearby Tokyo Disneyland as a destination for family outings.

“Making Chiba Jets games a place for families to go on weekends is the most important thing for us.”

This season’s spectator numbers are a big jump for the Jets, whose previous home, Funabashi Arena, could only accommodate 5,000. In addition to the increased ticket revenue, the franchise is making more money from advertising, according to Tamura.

An enthusiastic home crowd attends a B-League basketball game between the Chiba Jets and Utsunomiya Brex at LaLa arena Tokyo-Bay in Funabashi, near Tokyo, on Oct. 5, 2024. (Kyodo)

“We have increased the prices of (in-stadium) advertisements, and advertising revenues are also increasing,” Tamura said.

Adjacent retail outlets have also seen an upturn in business, with Jets fans packing nearby shops and restaurants on game days.

B-League executives have been keeping a close eye on the impact of the new arena for the Jets, who became one of the first three B-League clubs to surpass 3 billion yen ($20 million) in sales last season.

League chairman Shinji Shimada recently said he believes “4 billion yen in sales is within reach.”

With the B-League aiming to become the world’s No. 2 basketball organization, second only to the National Basketball Association, the development may represent a step toward that ambitious target.

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