M-Wave

What M-Wave does

M-Wave (株式会社エムウェーブ) is a privately held Japanese corporation that serves as the designated manager (指定管理者) of three municipal sports and cultural facilities in Nagano City under a public-private partnership with the City of Nagano. Its portfolio comprises the M-Wave Olympic Memorial Arena — a 400m indoor speed skating and hockey rink originally built for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and designated as Japan's National Training Center for speed skating in 2012 — Big Hat, a multi-purpose sports arena, and Wakasato Hall, a 606-seat civic cultural hall with simultaneous-interpretation conference rooms that served as the Main Press Center during the 1998 Olympics. The company also operates the on-site Nagano Olympic Museum and a merchandise shop, though Olympic-branded retail sales were discontinued in April 2015.

The business operates on a transaction-fee and managed-services model, earning revenue from facility rental fees paid by event organizers, public skating and training-room admission fees, museum visitation, and a contracted management fee from the City of Nagano. Hall reservations are accepted up to 18 months in advance, and a rate revision was implemented in October 2019. The customer base spans three primary segments: athletes and national sports organizations using the NTC rink, event organizers and promoters (concert tours including GENERATIONS, Yonezu Kenshi, BOYNEXTDOOR, and Mrs. GREEN APPLE; corporate exhibitions such as RICOH's Value Presentation; agricultural fairs staged by JA Nagano; and regional used-car fairs), and the general public including domestic and international tourists using the museum and recreational skating. Marketing runs through a multilingual website (Japanese, English, French, Chinese, Korean), an event calendar/news section, and direct phone bookings. Big Hat is scheduled to close for facility longevity renovation from early April 2027 through the end of October 2027, temporarily removing one of the three core venues from operational use.

Name

M-Wave

Legal name

株式会社エムウェーブ

Website

https://nagano-mwave.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

M-Wave is a Japanese private corporation that operates as the designated manager of three municipal sports and cultural facilities in Nagano City — the M-Wave Olympic speed skating arena, Big Hat multi-purpose arena, and Wakasato Hall — serving athletes, event organizers, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports and Cultural Facility Management

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Spectator Sports (7112), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mass Participation Race Organizers (Runs, Triathlons, Cycling) (MPAKADAD), Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Sports facility management
• Event venue rental
• Ice rink operations
• Cultural venue hosting
• Municipal facility management

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagano

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Facility Rental Revenue: Revenue generated from renting out venues (M-Wave arena, Big Hat arena, Wakasato Hall) to event organizers for sports competitions, concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and cultural events. Rental periods range from daily hall bookings to multi-day event bookings. Hall reservations are accepted up to 18 months in advance for large events.
2. Designated Manager Contract (City of Nagano): M-Wave operates as the designated manager (指定管理者) of city-owned sports and cultural facilities under contract with the City of Nagano. This includes M-Wave (Olympic Memorial Arena), Big Hat (Wakasato Multi-Purpose Sports Arena), and Wakasato Hall (Wakasato Civic Cultural Hall).
3. General Admission / Public Use Fees: Revenue from general public skating sessions, training room usage, and other recreational use of the M-Wave and Big Hat sports facilities.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Nagano Olympic Museum goods and memorabilia through the M-Wave shop (online and on-site). Note: Olympic goods sales were discontinued in April 2015, limiting merchandise offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

M-Wave (株式会社エムウェーブ) is a private Japanese corporation that operates as the designated manager (指定管理者) of three city-owned sports and cultural facilities in Nagano City, Japan: the M-Wave Olympic Memorial Arena (a speed skating and hockey rink designated as the National Training Center for speed skating), Big Hat (a multi-purpose sports arena for concerts, fairs, and exhibitions), and Wakasato Hall (a civic cultural hall with a 606-seat theater and conference rooms). The company also operates the Nagano Olympic Museum located within the M-Wave facility and a merchandise shop. Core offerings include facility rental to event organizers, general public skating and training room access, and museum visitor services.

Product overview

M-Wave (株式会社エムウェーブ) is a facility management company operating sports and cultural venues in Nagano, Japan. The company manages a portfolio of three main facilities: M-Wave (the Olympic speed skating arena and National Training Center), Big Hat (multi-purpose sports arena), and Wakasato Hall (civic cultural hall with meeting and conference facilities). The company also operates the Nagano Olympic Museum and an online merchandise shop. All three venues serve as event hosting spaces for sports, concerts, conferences, and cultural activities, with Wakasato Hall having been used as the Main Press Center during the 1998 Winter Olympics. M-Wave is a designated manager (指定管理者) contracted by Nagano City to operate these public facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 長野オリンピックミュージアム: Museum located within M-Wave facility showcasing Nagano Winter Olympics history and memorabilia.

Products and services

• M-Wave (長野市オリンピック記念アリーナ) The main arena facility originally built for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, serving as a speed skating competition venue and currently operating as the National Training Center (NTC) for speed skating. Offers public skating sessions, athlete training facilities, and hockey rink reservations for athletes, sports organizations, and the general public.
• Big Hat (長野市若里多目的スポーツアリーナ) Multi-purpose sports arena adjacent to Wakasato Hall, available for various sporting events, concerts, exhibitions, and trade shows. Hosts concerts (e.g., GENERATIONS, Yonezu Kenshi, BOYNEXTDOOR), corporate events (RICOH Value Presentation), automotive fairs, and agricultural trade fairs. Currently closed for renovation from April 2027 to October 2027.
• Wakasato Hall (長野市若里市民文化ホール) Civic cultural hall with a 606-seat theater, special meeting rooms, conference rooms with simultaneous interpretation booths, and a promenade gallery. Total floor area: 7,193 sqm. Capable of hosting international conferences, performing arts, concerts, and various cultural events. Serves event organizers, corporate clients, and cultural groups.
• Nagano Olympic Museum (長野オリンピックミュージアム) Museum located within M-Wave facility showcasing exhibits related to the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, including interactive displays and Olympic memorabilia. Free Wi-Fi is available for visitors. Serves general public and tourists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Big Hat closed for long-term renovation April–October 2027

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• City of Nagano (長野市)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerM-Wave operates as the designated manager (指定管理者) of three city-owned facilities: M-Wave (Olympic Memorial Arena), Big Hat (Wakasato Multi-Purpose Sports Arena), and Wakasato Hall (Wakasato Civic Cultural Hall). Under this public-private partnership, M-Wave is responsible for the day-to-day management, maintenance, programming, and operations of these public sports and cultural facilities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Saitama Super Arena: One of Japan's largest indoor arenas hosting concerts, sporting events, and exhibitions. Directly comparable to Big Hat as a mid-to-large capacity Japanese arena attracting national concert tours and major events.
• Pacifico Yokohama: Operates Pacifico Yokohama, a major convention and exhibition center with simultaneous interpretation-equipped conference rooms and halls. Closely comparable to Wakasato Hall's international conference and exhibition use cases.
• TKP Corporation: Operates a large network of rental meeting rooms, conference venues, and event spaces across Japan. Comparable to Wakasato Hall and Big Hat as a Japanese venue rental and event-hosting operator serving corporate and conference demand.
• Tokyo Dome Corporation: Operates Tokyo Dome stadium and the surrounding Tokyo Dome City entertainment complex, including arenas, halls, and event spaces. Directly comparable as a Japanese operator of a multi-venue sports/entertainment destination with Olympic-era legacy positioning.
• Sapporo Dome Co. Operates Sapporo Dome, a multi-purpose dome in Hokkaido hosting sports, concerts, and events. Comparable as a Japanese multi-purpose arena operator with both sports and concert revenue streams.

Others

• Legends Hospitality: Premium hospitality, merchandise, and venue services partner for sports and entertainment facilities globally. Adjacent peer providing ancillary venue services such as the M-Wave shop's Olympic memorabilia operations.

Broad incumbents

• ASM Global: World's largest venue management and facilities services company, operating arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and theaters globally. Comparable as a venue management pure-play, although at vastly larger scale and across geographies.
• Oak View Group (OVG): Global venue development and operating company focused on arenas and entertainment districts. Comparable as an arena operator specializing in live entertainment, sports, and event programming.
• AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group): Global sports and entertainment operator owning/operating arenas, theaters, and event venues (e.g., The O2, Crypto.com Arena). Comparable broad-incumbent venue operator with similar concert-anchor economics to Big Hat.

Regional players

• Yomiuri Land Co. Operates a Japanese amusement park, sports facilities (including golf and ski), and event venues. Comparable as a regional Japanese operator combining recreation facilities with sports/event venue operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NaganoMwave

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about M-Wave