Japanese Baseball is a MUST see while in Japan

Yes, Japanese baseball is a MUST see while in Japan! If you come to Japan, perhaps your first itinerary will consist of visiting a few famous landmarks, temples, traditional or modern cities – and rightfully so! Most people aim to see visit things ‘uniquely Japanese’ when they visit here, so perhaps watching a game of baseball doesn’t seem to really fit that list… but I beg to differ!

I understand, coming to Japan takes a lot of time & money and you want to make the most of it.  However, having experienced a couple of games in the Sapporo Dome stadium myself, the incredible environment you can witness in a live match truly makes for a ‘uniquely Japanese’ experience.  Regardless of whether you are a baseball fan or not, an evening in a baseball crowd is such an awesome (and different kind of) experience in Japan.

Here in this article, I will try to convince you on why Japanese baseball is a MUST see in Japan, and why you must go at least once!  On the way, I’ll also teach you one or two things about some Japanese teams and the baseball culture here.

Baseball games in America seem to give off this kind of slow & boring pace and image.  Quite often throughout the game not much seems to be going on and the crowds are mostly quiet… making it hard for newcomers to really feel the urge to come and remain engaged.

Japan on the other side is quite the opposite.  Fans are cheering for their team players all the time during bating.  When it’s the turn for the away team to bat, the visitor fans will continue to chant, equally supporting these players too. Once a team has a chance to get a player home and the tension builds up, there’s this amazing adrenaline rush.  The chants become more powerful and the atmosphere in the entire stadium is just crazy.  If your team gets a run, expect an uproar!  If you’re already a big baseball fan, you have to experience this kind of atmosphere at least once!

Japanese are very passionate when it comes to baseball but will not ‘overdo’ it like some other sports hooligans.  That means letting everyone support their own team, respecting that peacefully and not causing unnecessary fights against the opposing players or fans.

It can be a little intimidating to go to a ballpark, especially if you don’t know any of the teams, right?  But no worries, Japanese fans are super casual when it comes to who you want to cheer for.  Try striking a conversation with a couple of fans during a game and ask them who they support and why.  If you’re supporting the opposite to them, no worries!  These games make for a great chance to meet Japanese or expats.  Most of the time fans will be divided into their favorite team’s section, so even in an away game you can still join their fans and cheer for them too!

This is very reflective of Japan’s social dynamics and culture.  Every player does their part for the team to succeed.  Players look to get on base more so than trying to go for that home run, so you’ll see a lot of sacrificial plays (called ‘sac bunts’ in baseball terms).  They hope to steal bases and have more sacrificial fly balls to get that run in.  So it seems a lot more strategic, faster and cooperative than in other places.

In America for example, players are looking for that home run every time.  Of course, home runs are more flashy, and when it does happen the crowds love them!  But a hasty strategy plus the crowds’ energetic chants give such a different feeling to the baseball games of Japan.  That doesn’t mean they don’t take the ball out of the yard.  You will still see players in the cleanup spot threatening to take the ball deep.

How cool would it be to tell your friends back home that you went to see an INSANE baseball game in Japan?  I mean, just going to the stadiums themselves are pretty cool and in general are pretty different to ones in other countries.

Take for instance Sapporo Dome, the place the Nippon Ham Fighters play.  You’ll feel like you are in an intergalactic sports match from the dome itself.  Every new inning there will be some fun things to watch on the screens, like the YMCA dance etc… Buy a beer from one of the ‘Uriko’ (a beer/soft drink seller in the stands) or take a photo with Brisky the Bear (the Fighters Mascot).  Midway through the game, sing the Fighters Hymn ‘Faitazu Sanka (ファイターズ讃歌)’, which is very catchy by the way.  And after innings, join other fans in blowing up balloons and letting them go wild.  Hopefully the game(s) that you go to end with a victory at home so that you can see an awesome fireworks display.

Each stadium has their own special aspect, although I cannot talk personally about the other stadiums yet, Sapporo is definitely a cool spot to check out a baseball game.  What’s even cooler is that Sapporo Dome can be transformed into a basketball court, or a soccer or rugby field as well thanks to the stadium’s technologic design.

Sapporo Dome provides a tour so that you can learn about the stadium’s layout, visit the observatory, the team’s facility, throw a bullpen (practice pitch) and just stand on the same grounds as your favorite players.

As for my first game experience, I went with a couple of my school friends and a friend I met at an international party.  We clicked right away talking about baseball.  He then took us to a Nippon Ham Fighters game against the Orix Buffaloes.

I only knew the baseball basics so didn’t recognize any players from this league.  However, that was not needed to enjoy the super exciting (and close!) match.  Having attended many baseball games in Texas back in the US, I was definitely shocked to see how different a match felt here!  Even with my limited Japanese knowledge, I was able to follow some of the cheers and dances that the fans did.

At the end, the Sapporo based team, won!  It was an incredible experience, that I could only describe as riding a really really whacky and exciting roller coaster.

I was lucky that during the year I was studying (2016) the Fighters had reached the Japan Series that same year.  Actually, they ended up winning it against Hiroshima Toyo Carps in an incredibly intense series!

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend a live game.  Nonetheless, my friend and I went to a sports bar to watch the match and had a blast!  Even in a sports bar, many Japanese were cheering for their team and things were wild.  It was fun cheering for the same team and having a couple of beers together with new friends.

Basically, if you miss the chance to attend a game at a baseball stadium, at the least join a sports bar for the evening’s fun!

Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with all the rules and history of Japanese baseball.  Just a quick glance at the parts of Japanese baseball that you should know.

NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) consists of 12 teams – 2 leagues with 6 teams in each:

• Some of the notable differences in contrast to American Baseball are: Japanese games can end in a tie (adding only 3 more innings after the 9th during a tie), whereas games in America will keep on adding extra innings until a team claims the victory.
• One of the biggest sports events in Japan is Koshien – a huge tournament where different high school teams from all prefectures compete in the Koshien stadium in Osaka every summer.  Emotional, intense, this event is even more popular than professional baseball.
• Most stadiums here will let you bring your own food, snacks and beverages.  The latter you will have to pour your liquid into a cup (given to you) before entering the stadium.  There are many options for buying food inside the stadium, but a visit to the conbini is a lot cheaper.  So check your stadium rules and it could pay off!
• As you may have noticed, Japanese teams more often carry the name of their partner company rather than the city that they represent.  This is because teams are owned by these corporations, for example Softbank, Nippon Ham, Rakuten and Lotte etc.
• Japanese baseball players rarely tend to change teams.  Once a player is selected by an organization they are seen as a big part of the team’s identity therefore are super loyal.  Very fitting with Japanese culture.

Notable Former and Current Japanese Players

Yu Darvish – a former Nippon Ham Fighter/Texas Ranger, currently a Chicago Cub, and my favorite Japanese player

Ichiro Suzuki – former Orix Buffaloes, MLB player and a Japanese legend

Shohei Ohtani – former Nippon Ham Fighter, Los Angeles Angels and a legend in the making

Hideki Matsui – former Yomiuri Giant, Yankees and Rays player, former holder of the most HRs by an Asian player in the MLB

Hideo Nomo – former Buffaloes, Dodgers superstar, known for his ‘tornado’ wind up and great performances

Masanori Murakami – former San Francisco Giant and the first Japanese player in the MLB

From late March the NPB season begins up until late September.  The playoffs or the ‘final stage’ will begin in October before the two winners go against each other in the Japan Series by mid October.  The two leagues will play each other in June only, which is the best chance to see a great mix of teams.

You can buy the tickets on game day right on the booths or online.  Tickets are a little pricey, but vary depending the place you sit in the stadium.  During national holidays or weekends you may want to plan a little bit ahead since tickets may get sold out, therefore you can purchase your tickets through their English website.

The easiest way there is by Subway.  Take the Toho Line (blue) from Sapporo Station to Fukuzumi.  Fukuzumi will be the last station so you won’t miss the stop (everyone will be getting off, so you’ll know). There, either follow the signs pointing to Sapporo Dome or follow the rest of the fans on the 5 – 10 minute walk there.  Be prepared for a lot of people before and after the game, subways will be packed, but always on time 🙂

The Nippon Ham Fighters will open a new ballpark that is expected to be open in 2023.  This will have a retractable roof, new facilities for entertainment, retail, residential, hospitality and public spaces.

The new ballpark will be located in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido and the design so far looks as unique and modern.  While it might be a while until we can see it for real, even now we’re looking forward to experiencing a ball game here!

In short, whether you are a casual baseball fan or a hardcore fan, I recommend that you to attend a baseball game if you have enough time during your stay in Japan.  The experience is super unique and worth it, especially if the local team wins.

Unless you don’t like sports at all or noisy crowds, then maybe not.  But otherwise whether it’s with friends, family or by yourself, I encourage you to check a game at least once.  Maybe you will end up making some new friends there as well too!

Or let us know if you want to catch a game while in Sapporo!  Travel Hokkaido will be waiting for you and will gladly help you arrange a day at the ballpark.

Who’s keen to watch some baseball? 🙂