For three days from Friday, January 15 to Sunday, January 17, 2027, IG Arena in Kita Ward, Nagoya will host the “Resona Group B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2027 IN AICHI-NAGOYA.” Its second and third days, Saturday January 16 and Sunday January 17, coincide exactly with the main test dates of the FY2027 (Reiwa 9) Common Test for University Admissions set by the National Center for University Entrance Examinations. Two demand streams with completely different guest profiles and booking behavior — basketball All-Star fans and exam takers staying the night before — will flow into the same weekend in mid-January, the period when Nagoya’s hotel rates sink to their lowest point of the year. This article draws on measured room stock around IG Arena, price movements on January 16 and 17 of the previous Common Test (held January 17–18, 2026) — the eve of the test and its first day — and the seasonality of settled ADR in Meieki and Sakae to assess how far Nagoya hotel operators can rework their pricing and selling conditions for these three days.

Overlapping Demand — Three All-Star Days and Two Common Test Days on One Weekend

First, let us confirm from primary sources what overlaps and when. According to the official B.LEAGUE event outline, the “Resona Group B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2027 IN AICHI – NAGOYA” runs DAY1 on Friday, January 15, 2027, DAY2 on Saturday, January 16, and DAY3 on Sunday, January 17, at IG Arena (Nagoya, Aichi), organized by the Japan Basketball Association and the Japan Professional Basketball League. The outline announced on October 6, 2026 set out the program as the Asia Cross Tournament on January 15, the All-Star Contests and U18 All-Star Game on the 16th, and the main All-Star Game on the 17th, with ticket sales scheduled for early December 2026. IG Arena was named as the venue in an announcement on June 19, 2025, and that release noted that the January 2025 edition in Funabashi drew “19,054 people over two days.” According to Aichi Prefecture, IG Arena holds up to 17,000 people (including standing room), is located at 1-2-22 Meijo, Kita Ward, Nagoya, and held its grand opening with the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on July 13, 2025.

Meanwhile, the National Center for University Entrance Examinations has set the main FY2027 Common Test for “Saturday January 16 and Sunday January 17, 2027 (Reiwa 9),” with make-up/re-tests on “Saturday January 23 and Sunday January 24.” In other words, January 16 and 17 line up exactly with All-Star DAY2 and DAY3 and the first and second days of the main test. Because exam takers’ stays concentrate on the nights before each test day — Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th — the 15th will see All-Star DAY1 attendees and exam takers’ pre-test stays, and the 16th will see DAY2 attendees and exam takers facing day two, competing for the same rooms in the city. When we tallied Common Test lodging demand across eight major cities in October 2026, Nagoya had 20 test venues and 19,429 applicants; assuming a 3% lodging ratio, that comes to 545 rooms per night. Exam-taker demand is not large in volume, but it differs decisively from All-Star attendees in that these guests prioritize certainty over price and secure quiet rooms close to their test venue early.

Source: B.LEAGUE “Event Outline” (2026), National Center for University Entrance Examinations “FY2027 Examination”; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team

Rooms Around IG Arena — One Active Hotel (100 Rooms) Within 1km, 18 Hotels (2,825 Rooms) Within 2km

The room stock in this article covers lodging facilities with 10 or more rooms (excluding leisure/love hotels) within a 2,000m radius of IG Arena; “active” means properties whose selling prices were confirmed on major booking sites in the most recent three months (August–October 2026), as of October 21, 2026, tallied by MetroEngines Research.

IG Arena stands in the northern section of Meijo Park, and there are almost no lodging facilities within walking distance. Within a 1km radius there is only one active property with 100 rooms; another 195-room property still listed in the same radius had no selling prices confirmed in the last three months. Widening to 2km gives 18 active properties with 2,825 rooms, but most are business hotels at the northern edge of Marunouchi, Hisaya-odori and Nishiki, clustered 1.5–2.0km from the arena. Sakae is three stops from Meijo Koen Station on the Meijo subway line, so fan stays will effectively be absorbed by rooms in the Sakae and Marunouchi area. Expanding to a 5km radius jumps the count to 189 active properties with 31,163 rooms, taking in nearly all of the main hotel districts of Meieki, Fushimi, Sakae and Kanayama. Against attendance on the order of 17,000 people, rooms within 2km equal just under 17% of that figure, while rooms within 5km equal 1.8 times it.

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (as of October 2026)

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (actual coordinates of active properties. Dot size = number of rooms; blue = within 2km, gray = 300+ room properties within 5km)

Ranking the 18 active properties within 2km by room count, one has more than 300 rooms and seven are in the 200s, most of them opened in 2000 or later. The active property closest to the arena is a 100-room deluxe hotel south of Meijo Park, followed by Aoi Hotel (葵ホテル, 19 rooms) at 1.0km and KKR Hotel Nagoya (KKRホテル名古屋, 106 rooms) at 1.2km. The remaining 15 line the northern side of Marunouchi, Hisaya-odori and Nishiki, all within walking distance of a Meijo Line or Sakura-dori Line station.

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (as of October 2026) (N=18 properties)

Settled ADR in Meieki and Sakae — January Is the Annual Trough, Just Over Half of September 2026

Next, we pin down rate levels for “mid-January,” when this weekend falls, using data for finalized months. Estimated settled ADR in Nakamura Ward (Meieki) was ¥9,700 in January 2026 (N=72 properties) — up +11.4% from ¥8,700 a year earlier, but clearly down from ¥10,700 in December 2025 and ¥12,000 in November. Naka Ward (Sakae/Fushimi) shows the same pattern: January 2026 came in at ¥9,100 (N=89 properties, +15.5% YoY), below ¥9,600 in December 2025 and ¥11,000 in November. In 2025, too, January was the lowest of the 12 months at ¥8,700 in Nakamura Ward and ¥7,900 in Naka Ward, confirming January as the trough for two consecutive years.

The contrast is September 2026, when the 20th Asian Games were held: Nakamura Ward reached ¥17,400 and Naka Ward ¥16,900, 1.79x and 1.85x their January 2026 levels. September proved that large-scale events can move Nagoya’s rates, but the All-Star is a one-off three-day event, so the question is how much of the demand it layers on top of January’s floor can be passed through to rates. Note that for January 2027 an estimate based on listings at the time of research is available, but because it is a snapshot of current listings and different in nature from a finalized month, we do not use it for comparison here. Kita Ward, where IG Arena is located, falls short of the number of properties needed to calculate estimated settled ADR in many months, so a ward-level series cannot be shown.

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (estimated settled ADR, finalized months only. Nakamura Ward N=71–73 properties, Naka Ward N=87–92 properties)

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (estimated settled ADR, tax-exclusive equivalent, comparison between finalized months)

The Last Common Test Weekend (Eve Jan 16, Day One Jan 17) — Listed Prices Matched Neighboring Saturdays

Because the booking pace curve for the same weekend last year predates our observations, here we line up listed prices at the final observation point (all-plan average, two guests per room, tax-inclusive) for Fridays and Saturdays in January 2026. For Aichi business hotels (N=310 properties), Saturday January 17, day one of the Common Test, came in at ¥21,800 — nearly level with the surrounding Saturdays of January 10 (¥22,100), January 24 (¥21,900) and January 31 (¥22,200), just -1.1% against the average of the three Saturdays. Friday the 16th, the eve of the test, was ¥16,100, no different from other Fridays (¥15,500, ¥16,400, ¥16,300). For properties within 5km of IG Arena (N=142 properties), Saturday the 17th was ¥31,600, falling between ¥31,200 on January 10 and ¥32,300 on January 24. The 2025 test weekend (eve January 17, day one January 18) was the same: Aichi business hotels were at ¥21,000 on Saturday the 18th, below ¥21,900 the following Saturday, the 25th.

These results show that in Nagoya, the Common Test on its own does not generate enough demand to push Saturday prices up. Exam-taker pre-test stays certainly exist, but a scale of a few hundred rooms per night is absorbed by a supply of over 20,000 rooms and does not show up as a price signal. In 2027, three days of All-Star fan demand will sit on top of this “Saturday that didn’t move.” What matters as a reference point is the fact itself that the same Saturday last year was priced the same as neighboring Saturdays; how far the listed price on Saturday January 16, 2027 diverges from neighboring Saturdays will be the most straightforward measure of the All-Star’s net uplift.

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (listed prices, all-plan average, two guests per room, tax-inclusive, at final observation. Aichi business hotels N=309–317 properties; within 5km of IG Arena N=141–145 properties)

Booking Curves in Meieki and Sakae — Reading the LT45→1 Shape From Autumn 2026 Saturdays

With no actual January curve available, the only option for a shape reference is the most recent finalized Saturdays. On Saturday October 17, 2026 (a normal Saturday), estimated OCC (based on OTA listed inventory) in Naka Ward — covering 59 properties / 10,844 rooms (based on listings on major booking sites) — rose from 83.0% at LT45 to 91.0% at LT14 and 94.6% at LT1; in Nakamura Ward — 46 properties / 7,286 rooms — it rose from 73.6% at LT45 to 92.8% at LT14 and 94.1% at LT1. The Meieki side filled up sharply between LT30 and LT14, while the Sakae side kept building gradually after LT14. Saturday October 10, the first day of a three-day weekend, started lower in both wards (Naka 71.6%, Nakamura 69.6%) and reached 98.1% in Naka and 95.7% in Nakamura at LT1 — the more leisure-oriented the weekend, the more it builds close to arrival. Saturday September 26, during the Asian Games, was already near the ceiling at LT45, at 94.9% in Naka Ward and 97.6% in Nakamura Ward, showing that on major event weekends the outcome was decided 45 days out. How curve shapes differ between city hotels and business hotels in Aichi is analyzed in detail in our comparison of October booking curves for Aichi city and business hotels.

Which of these three shapes Saturday January 16 of the All-Star weekend will approach is likely to be determined once tickets go on sale in early December. Lodging for spectators tends to be arranged once tickets are confirmed and concentrates around LT30–LT40, so an earlier ramp-up than the normal Saturday curve can be expected. Exam takers’ pre-test stays come even earlier and are likely to be locked in during December. What operators should watch, therefore, is how far OCC at LT45 (around December 1) exceeds the normal-Saturday reference values of 83% in Naka Ward and 74% in Nakamura Ward; if a gap appears there, there is room to raise pricing set on the assumption of January’s floor.

Source: MetroEngines Research; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (estimated OCC = based on OTA listed inventory, LT45–LT1. Naka Ward: 59 properties / 10,844 rooms; Nakamura Ward: 46 properties / 7,286 rooms; both based on listings on major booking sites). These are estimates based on the sell-through of inventory sold on OTAs and differ from each property’s actual total occupancy.

Pricing Options in the January Trough — Managing Rate Floors and Minimum Stays

Based on the above, we set out the actions Nagoya revenue managers can consider for January 15–17, 2027. First, resetting the minimum selling price (floor). The most recent January settled ADR is ¥9,700 in Nakamura Ward and ¥9,100 in Naka Ward, and in a normal January each property’s floor would also drop to around this level. Because spectator demand will sit on top of that over the All-Star weekend, for the two nights of the 15th and 16th, re-anchoring the floor to November–December settled levels (Nakamura Ward ¥12,000–¥10,700, Naka Ward ¥11,000–¥9,600) is the first move to avoid selling out at January’s bottom rates. A sensible sequence is to raise the floor in early December before tickets go on sale, then raise it in stages if OCC at LT45 exceeds the reference values.

Second, designing minimum-stay requirements. The All-Star is structured over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and for fans traveling from afar a two-night stay of Fri–Sat or Sat–Sun is the natural pattern. Releasing plans early with the two nights of Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th as the base unit avoids filling up first with low-rate single-night demand, and also aligns with exam takers’ Fri–Sat two-night stays (night before plus the night after day one). However, Sunday the 17th is limited to post-game return-trip demand, so a three-night requirement including Sunday risks leaving inventory unsold. A realistic combination is to build around the Fri–Sat two-night stay and accept Sunday flexibly as single nights. How exam takers’ pre-test demand relates to room stock around major campuses is covered, along with January prices, in Exam-Night Hotels: 2,203 Rooms Near Kyoto Univ, Zero at Osaka Toyonaka.

Third, reading where demand will go. There are almost no rooms within walking distance of IG Arena, so the first to absorb demand will be Sakae and Hisaya-odori, three stops away on the Meijo Line, and the 18 properties within 2km on the northern side of Marunouchi and Nishiki. Meieki (Nakamura Ward) will capture both attendees arriving by Shinkansen and exam takers heading from Nagoya Station to test venues, so its Friday-night ramp-up is expected to come earlier than Sakae’s. Given that the Meieki side fills sharply between LT30 and LT14 on the reference curve, a split approach works: Nakamura Ward properties should complete two-night conditions and floor increases before LT30, while Naka Ward properties should leave a price ladder to capture last-minute demand after LT14. For the small number of properties in Kita and Higashi wards, proximity to the arena is itself a differentiator, so there is high value in clearly presenting selling conditions for spectators early.

Source: MetroEngines Inc.; compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team

Summary

In Nagoya on January 15–17, 2027, the three-day All-Star at IG Arena and the two main days of the Common Test fall on the same weekend. Rooms within walking distance of the venue amount to just one active property with 100 rooms, and even within 2km only 18 properties with 2,825 rooms, so spectator demand will shift to Sakae and Marunouchi along the Meijo Line, and to Meieki. January is the month when rates sink lowest in both Meieki and Sakae, with January 2026 settled ADR at ¥9,700 in Nakamura Ward and ¥9,100 in Naka Ward. We also confirmed that on the last Common Test weekend listed prices matched neighboring Saturdays — exam demand alone did not move prices. That is precisely why, for 2027, an effective sequence is: starting from the early-December ticket release, reset floors with reference to November–December settled levels and put Fri–Sat two-night selling conditions in place by LT45, then set the price ladder based on whether OCC at LT45 exceeds the normal-Saturday reference. Once finalized data for January 2027 is available, we will compare how far the All-Star weekend Saturday diverged from neighboring Saturdays against the figures in this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When do the 2027 B.LEAGUE All-Star and the Common Test overlap?

The All-Star runs for three days from Friday January 15 to Sunday January 17, 2027 at IG Arena in Kita Ward, Nagoya, and the main Common Test for University Admissions is on Saturday January 16 and Sunday January 17. In terms of lodging demand, the core nights are the 15th, when fans’ first-night stays overlap with exam takers’ pre-test stays, and the 16th, when fans’ Saturday stays overlap with exam takers facing day two.

Q. How many hotels are near IG Arena?

Properties with 10 or more rooms (excluding leisure/love hotels) whose selling prices were confirmed in the last three months number 1 property / 100 rooms within 1km, 18 properties / 2,825 rooms within 2km, and 189 properties / 31,163 rooms within 5km (as of October 21, 2026). Few are within walking distance; in practice demand is absorbed by Sakae and Hisaya-odori (three stops on the Meijo Line), the northern side of Marunouchi and Nishiki, and Meieki.

Q. What level are Nagoya hotel rates in January?

Estimated settled ADR in January 2026 was ¥9,747 in Nakamura Ward (Meieki, N=72 properties) and ¥9,137 in Naka Ward (Sakae/Fushimi, N=89 properties); in 2025, too, January was the lowest of the 12 months. Compared with September 2026, when the Asian Games were held (Nakamura Ward ¥17,440, Naka Ward ¥16,927), this is only 50–60% of the level.

Q. Does the Common Test alone raise hotel prices in Nagoya?

It did not last time. On Saturday January 17, 2026, day one of the Common Test, the listed price for Aichi business hotels was ¥21,800 (N=310 properties), nearly the same as the surrounding Saturdays (¥22,100, ¥21,900, ¥22,200). Exam-taker stays in Nagoya amount to about 545 rooms per night assuming a 3% lodging ratio, which is absorbed by a supply of over 20,000 rooms.

Q. When and what should hotels decide?

In early December, before tickets go on sale, reset the floors for the 15th and 16th with reference to November–December settled levels (Nakamura Ward ¥10,748–¥11,994, Naka Ward ¥9,629–¥11,016), and release selling conditions based on a Fri–Sat two-night stay. Then decide on staged increases based on whether estimated OCC at LT45 (around December 1) exceeds the normal-Saturday reference values (Naka Ward 83.0%, Nakamura Ward 73.6%).