Symbolic of Tohoku's revitalization after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Sendai 89ers will begin play in a new basketball gymnasium, Xebio Arena, in Taiha Ward, in October.
The arena's capacity will be for 6,000 spectators, located near Nagamachi Station. Xebio is a major sporting goods retail company in Japan.
Building a facility primarily — or exclusively — for basketball is a unique concept in Japan. Teams generally play at multi-purpose facilities that are owned and operated by cities or prefectural entities.