Challenges Faced by the Customer

Located in Hiroshima, Japan, MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima is home to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, a professional baseball team. Commonly known as Mazda Stadium, the open, accessible ballpark offers more than a place to watch baseball, inviting visitors to explore its grounds, enjoy food and beverages, and shop for team merchandise.

To ensure visitors could enjoy this open-air ballpark comfortably throughout the season, heat-relief measures were needed across the stadium, particularly in the concourse areas used by large numbers of visitors.

At the same time, the goal was not simply to reduce heat. The stadium also wanted to add a feature that visitors could enjoy as part of their visit—something that would encourage them to pause, spend time in the area, and make the ballpark experience more memorable.

Solutions Proposed by IKEUCHI

To meet these needs, IKEUCHI proposed its “Great Sea of Clouds” fog system, a large-scale installation that uses fine fog to create a dramatic sea-of-clouds effect in outdoor spaces.

Across the concourse, finely controlled fog forms a sweeping, cloud-like layer that fills visitors’ view and creates an otherworldly scene inside the ballpark.

In daylight, the fog appears bright and expansive as it catches the natural light; under stadium lighting, it takes on a more dramatic character, giving visitors a different experience depending on the time of day and weather conditions.

Achieving a stable, large-scale fog effect in an outdoor venue requires careful system design. Droplet size and distribution, spray flow rate, and nozzle placement must all be considered, along with wind conditions and the flow of people through the area.
Drawing on its fog-control expertise developed through spray nozzle technology, IKEUCHI designed a space that combines heat relief with an impressive visual effect.

Benefits Achieved

After the system was installed, the concourse was transformed by a sweeping sea-of-clouds effect, creating a visual attraction that naturally encouraged visitors to pause and enjoy the scene.

The experience of stepping into the cloud-like fog helps make outdoor games on hot days more comfortable, while also creating memorable scenes that visitors want to capture in photos and videos. As the sea of clouds fills the concourse, it draws visitors’ attention and adds an enjoyable element beyond watching the game itself.

The “Great Sea of Clouds” system has brought a new attraction to the Mazda Stadium concourse by adding a strong visual element to heat relief. By combining comfort with visual impact, the system turns a functional heat-relief measure into an experience visitors can enjoy directly during their time at the ballpark.

IKEUCHI will continue to apply its fog technology to help outdoor facilities mitigate heat and create memorable spaces that leave a lasting impression on visitors.

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