The Sapporo Dome stadium on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is proof that once the squabbling is put aside, a world-class stadium can be produced.

Football fans have been awe-struck that a nation with no footballing heritage can build such a tribute to the sport, while the inventors of the beautiful game, England, are still awaiting their new national stadium.

Both Ireland and England are embroiled in stadia problems. Construction of Campus Stadium Ireland, or the so-called Bertie Bowl, has been dogged by difficulties.

The proposed 80,000 seater, €700m stadium has been pencilled in as one of 10 stadia needed for Ireland and Scotland’s joint bid to host Euro 2008. Construction is already under way for the hosting of the Special Olympics next year. Meanwhile, the cost of creating the next Wembley Stadium has been estimated at £715m (around €1.1bn).

To say the Sapporo Dome - nicknamed Hiroba or open square - looks like a spaceship is a bit of an understatement.

Gleaming silver, its retractable pitch is almost one of the least striking things about it.

Everything about the Sapporo Dome has been carefully planned.

A roofed stadium was the only viable option for the island, considering it enjoys searing hot summers and Siberian winds in winter that can deliver up to 20 feet of snow.

The shape of the roof means that the heavy winter snow slides off the translucent Teflon-coated fibreglass. The thin roof membrane allows around 16% of sunlight through - protecting players from heat and glare.

Inside the Sapporo Dome is a pitch of artificial turf which hosts baseball games, concerts and exhibitions. But when football is staged, a pitch of grass grown outside the ground and weighing 8,300 tons - equivalent to 30 jumbo jets - glides into the arena, hovering on a bed of compressed air.

First, the astroturf surface in the stadium is rolled away. Then a wall of glass opens to allow the pitch to be moved in. Seating at one end of the stadium is retracted at the same time. Finally, a surge of air pressure generates a cushion of air which lifts the entire pitch. This allows 34 wheels, guided by sensors, to gently turn and carry the grass into the arena. Once inside, the playing surface is rotated 90 degrees before settling into position as thousands of surrounding seats are moved back into place. Moving at 13ft a minute, the whole process takes around five hours to complete.

Once inside, a giant 82ft by 23ft screen shows on-field action with computer-generated graphics. Seats are heated in winter and the acoustics and lighting are exceptional.

Apart from the historic victory for England in yesterday’s game, the world also witnessed a stadium in a league of its own. It remains to be seen just how Campus Stadium Ireland will compare to Japanese ingenuity.