maganda

Thank you so much. You weren't kidding; there were very few seats left. We bought 4 seats together in the B section, 1st base side. Tickets are printed and we're all set!

angra

Personally I am a big fan of sitting in the designated cheering sections if possible, and being a traditionalist, I favor the home team over the visiting team. It's not the best seat/view in most cases, but the fan experience is best by a noticeable margin.

Not everyone agrees, though!

Taiwaned

Wonderful thread.

Excited that I we will be going to the Jingu Stadium this summer.

Been to the dome in Fukuoka and attended a few games in Koshien.

I wish the stadium food was better.

For some reason, I crave a foot long hot dog, deep dish pizza and churros.

In Koshien, I was so disappointed that their stadium special was curry.

jphripjah

Here's a recent story about a Japanese man who has visited 877 baseball stadiums in Japan:

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201705220003.html

codex57

When do the next year's tickets go on sale? Will be in Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo for most of the trip. For just a casual baseball fan, would going to see the Giants be a better overall experience than a team in the Kansai region?

Preliminarily, I'm thinking it will be because 1) we have a day or two more in Tokyo, 2) we have SF Giants gear and it may be cool to supplement it with Tokyo Giants stuff, and 3) the Hall of Fame museum is there. Still, looking more for the atmosphere overall.

jib71

A Hanshin Tigers game in Osaka is one of the best / quintessential Japanese baseball experiences, because of the passion of the supporters. But it sounds like you'll be just as happy at Giants game - It's still quite different from the atmosphere in the US.

jphripjah

Next year's tickets go on sale next year, starting in February or March I think. Unlike in the USA, teams don't necessarily release all tickets for sale for the whole season at the same time. They might release tickets for April games in February, then release tickets for May games in March, etc.

mapleg

Answer-next year.
As for Giants game they have the advantage that you can buy their seats on line in English for no additional service charge. Print the ticket at home and show up at the stadium with it. Could not be easier.

Having said that, I prefer Meiji Jingu games for atmosphere. I find the Tokyo Dome kind of sterile. I also like Lions games, but only in the outfield supporters area (where you sit picnic style on an incline). Room to sit, beer girls coming by...very nice....but it is a bit of a haul from most parts of Tokyo.

sbjnyc

During a recent trip to Osaka I went to a Tigers game at Koshien (as a bonus vs the Giants). It was a great experience despite a light rain. I asked my hotel about tickets and they sent someone to a convenience store to buy them for me at a 15% surcharge (the ticket price was 2700 yen). Make sure you sit on the side of the field corresponding to the team you're rooting for. Don't sit on the 1B side at Koshien wearing Giants gear (SF or otherwise).

There is a plaque commemorating Babe Ruth playing at Koshien which makes for a nice photo op.

AlwaysAisle

I am Hanshin Tigers fan for as long as I can remember. Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers are archrivals, like Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. By the way, I am Red Sox fan living at White Plains, NY. I do not wear my Red Sox cap in my neighbor for my own safety. Anyway, team color of Yomiuri Giants is orange.

June 13 was a shareholders meeting of Hankyu-Hanshin Holdings, parent company of Hanshin Tigers and Hanshin Railway. At the shareholders meeting, one shareholder asked the question why Hanshin Railway’s train 9300 series is painted in a color of Yomiuri Giants. This shareholder actually did not say Yomiuri Giants but said at the meeting “the baseball team I do not care to say the name out loud.”

Obviously, this shareholder was not Yomiuri Giants fan. The corporate responded that they actually had few similar inquiries before. The corporate said during next major upgrade of trains, they will consider choice of color to be painted on the train.

Hanshin Railway paint their local trains, trains that stops at all stations, in blue and express trains in orange. Hanshin Railway used to paint express trains in red, but whatever reason they changed to orange. Out of all those different colors they could choose, why orange?!

angra

Yellow or black should suffice!

codex57

Is there a standard side for home and visiting supporters? Is it the same at every stadium?

jphripjah

It varies. In my experience the home/visiting side thing is not a big deal UNLESS you're sitting in the outfield stands then the cheering sections are quite segregated.

Otherwise, if you're just going to root for the home team, you're pretty much fine to do that anywhere else in the stadium, though you might end up in a section with a lot of away fans.

sbjnyc

I was somewhat aware of the home side visiting side rules from reading but the hotel asked me what team I was rooting for to determine what ticket to buy for me.

mkjr

for the swallows, visiting fans are typically on the third base outfield and generally on the side of the visitors dug out, which you should be able to glean in the pics here.