Shibuya-AX

SHIBUYA-AX
	The venue in 2012
	Interactive map of SHIBUYA-AX
Location	2-1-1 Jinnan Tokyo, Japan
Coordinates	35°39′58″N 139°42′00″E / 35.666199°N 139.700001°E
Owner	Dentsu and Nippon Television
Seating type	standing
Capacity	1,500
Type	Music venue
Construction
Opened	December 16, 2000
Closed	May 31, 2014
Website
	http://www.shibuya-ax.com

Shibuya-AX (stylized as SHIBUYA-AX) was a concert hall in Tokyo, Japan, near the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

Layout

Shibuya-AX was the only purpose-built concert hall or "live house" in the Tokyo metropolitan area that could accommodate 1,500 people. It was a popular venue for concerts by both Japanese and western artists.

History

The site originally served as a parking lot for the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Because regulations prohibited the construction of a permanent entertainment facility on the land, Shibuya-AX was built and operated as a "temporary structure" for over a decade.

On September 27, 2013, it was announced through the venue's official website that it would seize operations on May 31, 2014. The staff of Shibuya-AX requested J, the artist with the most performances at the concert hall, perform one last time at the venue. The concerts, entitled -Thank You AX!! Good Bye AX!!-, were held on May 3–4, 2014. The building was demolished and reverted back into a parking lot for the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

Notable events

Following their formation in 2001, EXILE's first tour, Styles of Beyond, kicked off at this venue in April 2003.
Buck-Tick's 2004 live album At the Night Side contains songs that were recorded at their April 30, 2003 performance here.
Sonata Arctica's performance in this venue on February 5, 2005 (during the Reckoning Night world tour) was recorded and later released as a live DVD For the Sake of Revenge (released in 2006).
Lady Gaga performed here on June 8, 2009, during The Fame Ball Tour.
From May 5 to 9, 2011, J held five consecutive concerts here titled "J 14th Anniversary Special Live Set Fire Get Higher -Fire Higher 2011-", each day with different bands such as Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Nothing's Carved in Stone, Avengers in Sci-Fi, Pay Money to My Pain and The Hiatus.
South Korean Girl Group, T-ara held First Showcase in this venue on July 5, 2011, before release their debut Japanese single Bo Peep Bo Peep .
Shibuya-AX served as one of the venues for A-Nation 2012 Music Week.
For consecutive 3 years, Shibuya-AX was the official "home" of Shibuya-based pop idol group Passpo☆ (last show was on March 1, 2014)