Yeah. Japanese baseball is another house that Ruth helped to build.

Besides Koshien, that's actually the Japanese ballpark that I'd most like to see a game in. I've read online that it's the one that is most similar to the modern outdoor parks we have in the States these days, so I'd be interested in checking it out someday.

Osaka it is! Plenty to see and do in Tokyo already, and judging from the directions I suspect not so easy to navigate as Osaka.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and the history! I've been to 20 stadiums in the USA including the old Fenway and Wrigley fields so I guess soon I will be in some kind of exclusive Ruth club :D

Taking the Hanshin Railway from Umeda costs Y270 per person per direction. On game day there are extra express runs.

Here are a two pics from Hanshen Koshien Stadium.

Outside the stadium near home plate:
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9fdc5864.jpg

View from the right field (home) stands:
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1ec49843.jpg

And from New Municipal Stadium in Hiroshima (AKA Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium)

From the left field walkway area:
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/...pscf8d2f87.jpg

From the right-center stands:
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6391d6f1.jpg

And finally for good measure.

After failing to capitalize with bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the ninth the Tigers were presented with the same situation in the bottom of the tenth and Segimoto at bat. Much to the chagrin of the 4 sections of Giants fans in the leftfield corner.

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/...ps382a85fa.jpg

Is there a good English site that will teach how Japanese Baseball is set up. I will be in Tokyo in August with my kids. We may try to get to Hiroshima too.

A baseball game is at the top of my list. More than one stadium would be awesome too.

I love the skinned infields ^

In Tokyo my choices would be the Giants and....
What is the club in Hiroshima called?

If I have a JR pass, are there some easy access games from Tokyo where we could go and get back the same day.

Do the Japanese teams play during the day at all?

Buying Japan Baseball tickets
 

We attended a 2pm Sunday game at Hanshin Tigers stadium. Easy local train from Osaka and the stadium is literally a few hundred meters next to train stn. Bought tickets at stadium but almost sold out of swallow seats so paid $50pp to sit near the top row down 3rd base line. But well worth the experience. Love the Asahi beer girls :) and there are about 100x more food choices than you find at a US game. The whole experience was quite entertaining and of course the game was easy to follow - same rules. If I did it again I would have concierge order advance tix - well worth a $10 service fee to get better seats.

There are weekend day games but I'm not sure about weekdays.

Hiroshima Carp have a nice new grass field stadium a stone's throw from the JR station. However after a night game getting back to Tokyo might be problematic, we had one train to choose from back to Fukuoka after a full day in Hiroshima.

I loved buying several beers at 7-11 or Family Mart and walking up to the ubiquitous tent with free cups so you can carry your beer inside. :D

For the Carp, we will be in Hiroshima 2-3 days so it won't be an issue of getting back to Tokyo. I see that the Carp are home too when we plan on being in Hiroshima and yes the stadium looks close to the train station on the map.

I used this site to see schedules, stadium locations etc

Anyone know how far the Mazda Zoom Zoom stadium is from the Hiroshima Westin?

Tokyo seems to have five teams so I'll take whatever games I can get us into.

Another question, my son wants to see the Chunichi Dragons. Is that something that is doable via train in the same day from Tokyo?

I recommend Swallows or Yokohama when you are in Tokyo for the atmosphere and being outdoors. I dislike the Gomiuri Giants and they play in a dismal dome.

I don't recommend a day trip to Nagoya from Tokyo to see baseball. You probably will have a hard time catching the last shinkansen; just my guess. And it's going to cost you about $250 per person for the train ride. And the Dragons also have a sterile dome -- it's even more sterile than the Gomi-dome.

Never weekday day games. I also think that (at least with the Swallows) they tend not to play day games on weekends in July-August because of the heat. And the Swallows often have fireworks that time of year on weekends.

Re beer you can smuggle it in as well. I do that because I don't like the swill sold in the stadium (or in Famima et al. for that matter). So I'll pack a few Yona-Yonas and will pull out one and fill at the entrance so that I have a cup.

For football they actually search the bags, but I have gotten a few beers through anyway. Only once was I caught so then I had to pour several cups. At football they have a second cup pouring station after the search for people who have been "busted".

So about bringing beers into Stadiums: You have to smuggle it in I take it? Although it seems to be easy, is that right? If I have to smuggle it, I'll probably pass and just buy it inside (I'll have my kids with me, can't do that in front of them LOL).

When you say football, what type of football are you talking?

Are you saying that a JR pass won't get me to Nagoya?

I don't mind overnighting in Nagoya if I have too.

Its not me who's dying to go to see the Dragons, its my son who really wants to see the Dragons. As for me, I won't mind being in any type of stadium just to experience difference stadiums is always fun

You can bring in one can of beer per person as I recall at both tigers games and swallows games. At least I did. They will pour into paper for you. If you are a giajin, they'll probably allow more. At the swallows game, the guy poured one out for me, gave me two paper cups for,the two,others I had. This was a few weeks ago. Btw, the food at the tigers game is way better than at swallows. Make sure to bring food to swallows games. We were there on the Ballantien bobblehead night. Got three of the home run king bobble heads.

At Hiroshima I carried in 2 big beers. My wife had to handle my ticket. :D

I had 3 at the tigers game and they gave me a cardboard carry tray. :D