Japanese Baseball Road Trip

Well, my adventures through the NPB in 2010 have drawn to a close. I’ll be stuck reading highlights about the rest of the pennant race and playoffs online. However, having visited all the active home stadiums this season, here are my recommended baseball places to visit if you want to plan a trip for the 2011 season.

In my opinion there are three main stadiums to experience: Koshien Stadium, Tokyo Dome, and Mazada Zoom-Zoom Stadium.

Koshien Stadium

Koshien Stadium. This ballpark has a lot of history surrounding it. The museum is the best baseball museum in Japan (slightly better than the Hall of Fame in Tokyo) and the stadium itself, with the new renovations is spectacular. Plus it is outdoor baseball which will make more American fans feel at home.

Tokyo Dome. While the stadium itself is not one of the best in the league, it will be very familiar to Major League Baseball fans as it has been the site of several season opening series over the last decade. In addition, the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame is located at the Tokyo Dome and will provide good background on the league.

Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium. This ballpark, in my opinion, is the class of NPB. Again, it is outdoors, has wider concourses and plenty of great food choices. Hiroshima itself, is a great city and worth the visit. Stop by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Museum for a chilling account of August 6, 1945 and amazingly fair depiction of events considering the devastation caused by the atomic blast.

Of course, if you can get to any of the ballparks in Japan to see a game, it will be well worth the trip. The atmosphere is different from any Major League Baseball stadium and the fans are much more passionate than any in the States (Yes, even the Fenway Faithful, Yankees and Cubs fans out there).

Thanks for following along this season. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to visit again next season. I would like to climb Mount Fuji and maybe see the All Star Games (yes games – NPB has two). The “Japanese Baseball Road Trip Guide” is on the way to the editors and should be available within the next two months on Amazon. Sign up for the email list or follow the blog on Facebook for updates.

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The umbrellas were out this evening

Despite ominous skies and some passing showers, the baseball road trip gods smiled down upon us as the Yakult Swallows and the Yomiuri Giants were able to get the full nine innings in tonight at Meiji Jingu Stadium.  Meiji Jingu was the best outdoor stadium to have to deal with rain since the Swallows are known for their bright green umbrellas that they wave during their cheer song.  Part of that tradition is to poke fun at the cross town Giants who play in the Tokyo Dome by saying, ”We don’t need a dome – we have umbrellas!”  These certainly came in handy during the evening.

With the treat of rain omnipresent throughout the day, the crowd was small – despite the fact the Giants only play just a hop, skip, and a jump away at the Tokyo Dome.  The Giants, who are holding on to the last playoff position in the Central League, would jump on the board first with a big four run top of the sixth as the rain started to fall.  The Swallows were able to put two on the board to draw the game closer but the Giants held out for the 5-2 win. 

For me, this was the last game of my September tour through Japanese baseball.  My fellow See It All JapanBallers will continue on to Chiba Marine Stadium tomorrow.  This was a really fun trip, something I’d recommend to any fan of the game of baseball.  Now time to pack – some final thoughts on the trip will be coming when I get back to the States.

Question of the Day

Q: Does the NPB play a small ball style game compared to MLB? – Mark

A: I would say that it is not noticeable. Occasionally, you will see a player bunt earlier in the game than you would in MLB. There is much more emphasis placed on getting the first run so that leads to some different decision making. I would argue that the power level is similar to MLB (especially comparing this season).

Check out the Meiji Jingu Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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Welcome to the northern most ballpark in the NPB! The wonderful little city of Sapporo, home to Sapporo Beer, is also the home of the Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Sapporo Dome.

We have spent two days in the city and were able to enjoy a lot of its offerings. After arriving on our flight from Tokyo, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed to the Sapporo Beer Museum at the Sapporo Brewery. We were able to sample many of the fine selections of beers in the museum – kind of made me feel right back home in Wisconsin - including Sapporo Classic which is only sold in Hokkaido. 

Taking some swings on the field.

This morning, we got up early and made our way to the ballpark. While the game wouldn’t be until later in the evening, the Sapporo Dome offers behind the scenes ballpark tours. I love to go on ballpark tours in the states (29 of the 30 teams offer them – only the Marlins don’t) so our small group of four made the trek over to the stadium to see how it is done in Japan. Of course, the entire tour is in Japanese and my grasp on the language is still limited. We expected this and just enjoyed wandering around behind the scenes, getting to sit in the dugouts, and walk on the field. (Check out this video of the incredible baseball to soccer transformation in the dome.)

Having seen a number of teams in pennant contention over the last couple of days, the matchup between the Fighters and the Eagles left something to be desired as both teams are near the bottom of the Pacific League.  Even though this is the third game on the trip we saw the Fighters, we missed Yu Darvish and the traveling pack of MLB scouts again as he pitched last Saturday in Fukuoka – the day after we saw the Fighters take on the Hawks.  However, we were treated to a complete game four hit shutout by Satoshi Nagai of the Eagles as they defeated the Fighters 9-0.

Tomorrow we are going back to Tokyo to see the Yakult Swallows take on the Giants at Meiji Jingu Stadium.  Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.  Hopefully, it will hold off.

Question of the Day

Q: Does the NPB use instant replay? – Fred

A: Yes. It can be used for most kinds of disputed calls. In fact, at the game at Yokohama Stadium earlier in the trip, we saw a home run call reversed. The entire crew went and took a look at the replay after the incensed BayStars manger came running onto the field. After making a ruling on the challenge, the home plate umpire actually takes a microphone and explains over the PA system why the call was made. It is pretty interesting and makes sure the right call gets made. By the way, it only delayed the game 2-3 minutes – most of which was time spent by the BayStars manager arguing the call. This is one area where Major League Baseball could learn a thing or two from the NPB.

Check out the Sapporo Dome Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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Tokyo Dome on a hot Sunday afternoon

For some reason, it always feels like I am scrambling to get the Tokyo Dome. On my last trip in the spring, I went to the Tokyo Dome a mere four hours after landing at the airport. Today, we had an early train to catch to make it back from Nagoya to Tokyo to see the Sunday afternoon contest between the Giants and the Hiroshima Carp.

Unlike my trip in the May, this time we had a few hours to spend wandering around the Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome City. Much to my delight, I discovered a great brick oven pizza place right next to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame which, after 12 days of Japanese food, was a welcome change.

The game was all Giants. Hayato Sakamoto lead off the bottom of the first with a first pitch home run. Two batters later, first baseman Michihiro Ogasawara launched another home run into the left field seats (the fourth home run I have seen him hit this season) and set the tone for the game. The Giants added three more runs while the Carp could only manage to sneek one across as the Giants rolled to a 5-1 win on our shortest game of the trip at three hours and seven minutes.

Tomorrow, we get on an airplane to head north to island prefecture of Hokkaido and the city of Sapporo. Monday is a baseball off day, but Tuesday will be a game between the Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Eagles. Talk to you then!

Question of the Day

Q: Who has won the most championships in Japan? – Sarah

A: The Yomiuri Giants, sometimes called the “New York Yankees of Japan” by Americans, have won 21 Japan Series and 33 Central League titles. That is fairly impressive considering the league was only established in 1950 – just 60 years ago – meaning the Giants have won their league, on average, every other year.

Check out the Tokyo Dome Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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Blanco hits home run number 2

The Chunichi Dragons have been red hot down the stretch. Having won 8 of their last 10 games heading into the Saturday afternoon contest at the Nagoya Dome against the Yokohama BayStars, the Dragons looked to keep there first place lead over the Hashin Tigers. We just saw the Dragons tie the Tigers on Thursday night at Koshien Stadium and it is interesting to think that one week ago we were watching the first place Tigers in Hiroshima. Yokohama has struggled all season and with Tony Blanco launching two home runs and going 4-4 with 4 RBIs in the game, the Dragons cruised to a 7-2 win. 

Our day was spent with a long train ride up from Fukuoka to Nagoya – including a very short six minute transfer in Osaka. After a quick stop at the hotel to drop our bags, we hustled over to the stadium to catch the game. The domed stadium was somewhat sterile – as to be expected. The Dragons had a small memorabilia and history area located on the second level but otherwise it was a typical circular domed stadium. We have another quick turnaround to catch a game at the Tokyo Dome tomorrow afternoon.

Question of the Day

Q: Do the teams in Japan use a DH or does the pitcher hit? – Ben

A: Just like in Major League Baseball, each league is different. The Central League has the pitcher hit while the Pacific League has the Designated Hitter. During interleague play, the DH is used.

Bonus Question of the Day

Q: Thus far on your trip what is the most unique mascot you’ve seen and do the mascots have interesting talents? – Jenn

A: Today’s mascot for the Dragons is unique.  Named Doala, this half Koala bear and half man entertains the crowd at the Nagoya Dome.  Doala did do some acrobatics on the field which I haven’t seen any other mascots do yet.   

Check out the Nagoya Dome Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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Inside the Sadaharu Oh Museum

A packed house filled the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome for the Friday evening tilt featuring the southern most team in Nippon Professional Baseball (the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) and the northern most team (the Nippon-Ham Fighters).  The Hawks came into the contest just 3 games out of first place in the Pacific League behind the Seibu Lions.  Each team only managed to score one run a piece in the first nine innings so for the second night in a row, the game continued into extra innings.  In the top of the tenth, the Fighters were able to manufacture the go ahead run on a safety squeeze.  The Hawks went down in order in the bottom half of the tenth as the Fighters came away with the 2-1 win.  With the Lions winning this evening in dramatic fashion at the Seibu Dome (a 12-8 win over the Marines with 2 home runs by Takeya Nakamuru), the Hawks fell further behind in the standings. 

The Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome was fairly impressive.  It is home to the Sadaharu Oh museum and the only retractable dome stadium in the league.  The stadium also claims to have the largest food variety in the league offering over 80 varieties of bento boxes.

Tomorrow we begin the trip back north with a day game at the Nagoya Dome.

Question of the Day

Q: Who has hit the most home runs in Japanese Professional Baseball? – Eric

A: That title belongs to the legendary Sadaharu Oh who belted 868 in a career that spanned four decades from 1959 to 1980. This also makes him the all-time home run king passing even Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds for most career home runs in any league. Oh also holds the NPB single season home run record with Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera with 55 home runs in a single season. Interestingly, Oh finished his career as a manager with both the Giants and later the Hawks when he retired after the 2008 season.

Check out the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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48,000+ Balloons at Koshien

At the recently renovated Koshien Stadium, the first place Hashin Tigers and the second place Chunichi Dragons battled through extra innings to end at a 2-2 tie. Yes, games in Japan can end in a tie as the rules dictate that the teams only play 12 innings. The game was tight from the beginning as teams matched runs in the first three innings. The Dragons would take a 2-1 lead before the Tigers tied the game at two in the bottom of the eighth, much to the delight of the sold out, overwhelmingly Tiger fan filled stadium. The Tigers had chances to win the game in both the bottom of the ninth and tenth, but managerial and coaching blunders cost the team in both cases.

The stadium itself was magnificent. Last season, the Tigers renovated the stadium. The stadium was in rough shape and needed repairs. A new museum was added around the outfield which goes through the history of the famed high school Koshien High School baseball tournament held annually at the park as well as the history of the Tigers franchise. They even added a brick fan walk, where fans can have their own custom engraved brick paver placed around the exterior concourse of the stadium. These have been done for years in the States, but this is the first one I have seen in Japan.

It was nice to sit outside for a change and see a real grass baseball field again. Tomorrow starts a set of four domed stadiums in a row in Fukuoka.

Question of the Day

Q: What is the oldest stadium in Japan? – Henry

A: The oldest stadium in Japan is Koshien Stadium – the site of the game we attended this evening. Built in 1924, it is a mere two years older than Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. Koshien Stadium was recently renovated over the past two years due to some damage from an earthquake in the 1990s. Koshien Stadium is one of only three major professional league stadiums that remain in active service that Babe Ruth hit a home run (the others being Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago – I’m not including old minor league parks). They even have a hot dog at the park which the Tigers have been serving since the 1920s named the “Herman Dog” that, according to the sign at the concession stand, was approved by the Bambino himself.

Check out the Koshien Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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Inside Seibu Dome

For the second time this season, I find myself at the Seibu Dome.  While it was drizzling during the last visit, the remnants of a typhoon were swirling around the ballpark today.  Fortunately, thanks to the great planning by the JapanBall tour guides, the last two days games have been held in domes so at least we were able to see the game.  One of the interesting facts about the Seibu Dome, is while the playing field and seats are covered by the dome, the upper concourses are actually outdoors.  This means that at some concession stands, you have to fight the rain to get a beer or some food.

After arriving a bit late at the end of the first inning, the home team Seibu Lions found the scoreboard and took the lead over the visiting Nippon-Ham Fighters (Fighters for short, not Ham Fighters).  Seibu would not relinquish the lead for the rest of game.  The attendance at the stadium was a bit light, but understandable considering the days weather and the fact that it is a Wednesday night. 

Tomorrow is back on the Shikansen to Osaka to Koshien Stadium to see the home of the Tigers (and hopefully a little sun again).

Question of the Day

Q: What is the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane? – Me

A: I was curious having seen hurricanes in the United States and seeing as how this was my first experience being near a typhoon.  According to the all knowing Wikipedia, a typhoon is a nickname for a tropical cyclone as is the term hurricane.  Generally, the difference is that the term hurricane is used for tropical cyclones starting in the Atlantic and typhoons are in the Pacific.  Both are storm systems that produce a lot of rain and a lot of wind and you want to avoid them.  So noted.

Check out the Seibu Dome Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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Inside the Osaka Dome

The Orix Buffaloes and Chiba Lotte Marines played the most exciting game of the trip, according to the consensus of the JapanBall fans at the Kyocera Dome this evening. After the Marines jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, the teams battled back and forth with the home team Buffaloes taking the lead on a long home run over the left field fence. The sparse crowd at the Kyocera Dome Osaka was very excited at the turn of events. The Marines eventually loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth after drawing the game within one, but an amazing backhand grab by the second baseman and a quick flip to the shortstop at second base put an end to the rally with the Buffaloes taking a close 5-4 win.

Before the game, we spent a little time exploring the area around Osaka. A group of us headed over to the Hard Rock Café for some burgers and to get t-shirts before heading over to the Osaka Dome. The dome is a strange – almost UFO looking structure. Inside, it is reminiscent of the Rogers Centre in Toronto where the Blue Jays play with a similar blue walls and seats.

Only one more day remains on the official weeklong JapanBall tour before more the group heads back home to locations in the United States and Canada. A group of four, including myself, will continue on to see the rest of the stadiums following our stop tomorrow at the Seibu Dome.

Question of the Day

Q: What are some places to get scores and stats on Japanese baseball? – Frank

A: There are a couple of good sites. For scores, try the NPB official site at www.npb.or.jp/eng/.
You can also find good information on teams, stats, and schedules at www.japanball.com, the company I am on the tour with. Also, you can try the English language daily paper The Japan Times at www.japantimes.co.jp for coverage of the entire Nippon Professional Baseball League.

Check out the Kyocera Dome Osaka Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »

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