Nipro Hachiko Dome
The Nipro Hachiko Dome (ニプロハチ公ドーム, Nipuro Hachikou Dōmu) is a large wooden stadium in Ōdate, Akita, in northern Japan. The stadium covers an area of 12,915 m2.[1] It was completed in June 1997 and is made from 25,000 Akita cypress trees which are covered with a special double Teflon-coated membrane. This allows enough sunlight into the stadium so that during the day no artificial lights are needed.[2] The stadium is principally used for baseball games,[3] but thanks in part to its removable grandstands, the stadium can also be used for other sports and events.[4] Nipro, a Japanese medical equipment manufacturing company, purchased the naming rights to the dome in 2017.[5] StructureThe roof was made from 25,000 Akita cypress trees which were aged over the course of 60 years.[4] This wooden framework is covered with a special double Teflon-coated membrane made from translucent fluorethylene resin-coated fibreglass.[6] This membrane is very strong and light. The stadium is located in a region of Japan that it subjected to heavy snowfall of 2 to 3 m (6.6 to 9.8 ft). Because of this, the dome itself also has an aerodynamic design to resist strong winds and heavy snowfall.[2] Buildup of snow on the roof is prevented by circulating warm air between the two Teflon-coated membranes; this shakes off the snow and allows the stadium to be used in all weather.[4] Statistics
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External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Odate Jukai Dome.
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