Yoyogi National Gymnasium

The Yoyogi National Gymnasium is the Olympic arena in Yoyogi Park in Shibuya ward, and counts as a key work of postwar Japanese modernism. Kenzo Tange designed it for the 1964 Olympic Games, where it hosted swimming, diving and basketball. The sweeping steel suspension roof, hung from two massive pylons and pulled down at interior anchor points, references Shinto shrine roofs and the cable engineering of suspension bridges. The building was designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2021. Today the larger arena hosts concerts, ice hockey and K-pop shows, while the smaller second hall serves basketball tournaments. At the 2020 Games it hosted the handball final.