Baseball Tickets: Nippon Series
Aug 27, 2017, 1:30 pm
#1
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Baseball Tickets: Nippon Series
By chance I'll be in Japan during the Nippon Series this fall.
At this point I am pretty well versed in obtaining regular season game tickets, but I have no clue how to go about trying to get Series tickets. Anyone have experience with this to share?
At this point I am pretty well versed in obtaining regular season game tickets, but I have no clue how to go about trying to get Series tickets. Anyone have experience with this to share?
Aug 27, 2017, 4:52 pm
#2
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First, basic information. Tickets for Nippon Series start sales as soon as teams are determined, i.e. end of Central League and Pacific League championship game which is Climax Series. This can be as early as Oct. 20 and can be as late as Oct. 25.
This year Nippon series is between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. However, are you going to be at Japan between Oct. 20 and Oct. 25 when tickets go on sales? I do think it is still better to be in Japan physically to purchase the ticket. Do you have somebody willing to buy a ticket for you, which may not be easy task since it is very popular?
Also, the game will be played at each team’s home field, so we do not know where Nippon Series will be played this year. Are your travel to Japan during this period that flexible?
Ticket price is based on a seating price of the field the game will be played. Again, you will not know the exact price of the ticket till team is determined.
This year Nippon series is between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. However, are you going to be at Japan between Oct. 20 and Oct. 25 when tickets go on sales? I do think it is still better to be in Japan physically to purchase the ticket. Do you have somebody willing to buy a ticket for you, which may not be easy task since it is very popular?
Also, the game will be played at each team’s home field, so we do not know where Nippon Series will be played this year. Are your travel to Japan during this period that flexible?
Ticket price is based on a seating price of the field the game will be played. Again, you will not know the exact price of the ticket till team is determined.
Aug 27, 2017, 5:35 pm
#3
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Thank you for the input and followup questions!
I will be in the country from Oct. 27 - Nov 6.
I have no plans at all currently, and I'll be travelling alone, so I'm pretty flexible. Two teams whose home parks I've never been to (Hawks and Carp) are in contention. I'd be more motivated to attend those games, and might not try _too_ hard if one or both of the teams playing in the series are ones that I have been to before. Of the teams currently with a winning record, only Hawks, Carp, Lions, and Eagles are teams I've not visited at home.
I won't be in Japan when tickets go on sale. For regular season games, there are good online sales paths for most teams. I was hoping that there might be something like that for Series. I have a few friends in various parts of Japan that I might call on, but probably none that I would impose a huge hassle onto. Does it matter if they are in physically located in the home city of one of the teams?
My strong preference would be to sit in or near the home team Ouendan. I've had a very easy time getting those sort of tickets for regular season games - is it harder for postseason?
Based on previous experience with Japanese baseball (including a Japan Series game in 2015), I do not expect ticket price to affect my planning/decisions.
I will be in the country from Oct. 27 - Nov 6.
I have no plans at all currently, and I'll be travelling alone, so I'm pretty flexible. Two teams whose home parks I've never been to (Hawks and Carp) are in contention. I'd be more motivated to attend those games, and might not try _too_ hard if one or both of the teams playing in the series are ones that I have been to before. Of the teams currently with a winning record, only Hawks, Carp, Lions, and Eagles are teams I've not visited at home.
I won't be in Japan when tickets go on sale. For regular season games, there are good online sales paths for most teams. I was hoping that there might be something like that for Series. I have a few friends in various parts of Japan that I might call on, but probably none that I would impose a huge hassle onto. Does it matter if they are in physically located in the home city of one of the teams?
My strong preference would be to sit in or near the home team Ouendan. I've had a very easy time getting those sort of tickets for regular season games - is it harder for postseason?
Based on previous experience with Japanese baseball (including a Japan Series game in 2015), I do not expect ticket price to affect my planning/decisions.
Aug 28, 2017, 7:41 am
#4
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In 2011 I bought Climax Series first round tickets on short notice. This was Swallows vs. Giants, so I can't imagine anything being more difficult.
I came back to Tokyo and realized the games were upcoming. It's a best of three and I was able to buy the 2nd and 3rd game two days out. I used the Swallows' website, which used Pia at the time. I even found my online registration email and receipts. A catch about online ordering in Japan is that you normally need to use a Japan issued CC, but that's changing. But if the club sales tickets online to foreigners (like the Giants started ca. 2012 or 13) then you should be able to use that path for Japan series too.
You then just pick up the tickets at 7-11, which incurs a 100 yen fee. So if you can get around the CC issue then it would be easy to buy remotely from the US and collect upon arrival. It was no different than buying any online ticket from the Swallows; however, for regular season I had always purchased walk-up tickets.
I think that buying tickets for the home cheering section will be the most difficult since they are the most popular (and cheapest). In my example, one ticket was in the second row behind home plate (SS) while for the third game I had a lot more choice among the premium tickets. I bought the ticket for the third game before it was known that it would be played, so it appeared that people were not that interested in buying until people knew that it was going to be played.
The tickets were not more expensive than regular season. The Giants and Tigers always were (slightly) premium priced back then.
I came back to Tokyo and realized the games were upcoming. It's a best of three and I was able to buy the 2nd and 3rd game two days out. I used the Swallows' website, which used Pia at the time. I even found my online registration email and receipts. A catch about online ordering in Japan is that you normally need to use a Japan issued CC, but that's changing. But if the club sales tickets online to foreigners (like the Giants started ca. 2012 or 13) then you should be able to use that path for Japan series too.
You then just pick up the tickets at 7-11, which incurs a 100 yen fee. So if you can get around the CC issue then it would be easy to buy remotely from the US and collect upon arrival. It was no different than buying any online ticket from the Swallows; however, for regular season I had always purchased walk-up tickets.
I think that buying tickets for the home cheering section will be the most difficult since they are the most popular (and cheapest). In my example, one ticket was in the second row behind home plate (SS) while for the third game I had a lot more choice among the premium tickets. I bought the ticket for the third game before it was known that it would be played, so it appeared that people were not that interested in buying until people knew that it was going to be played.
The tickets were not more expensive than regular season. The Giants and Tigers always were (slightly) premium priced back then.
Sep 14, 2017, 10:39 am
#5
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Somehow I missed this last reply when it was posted, but went back to look again just no and saw it. Thanks, that is hugely helpful! I am fairly familiar with online ticket ordering for Japanese Baseball, so I'll examine that route as the teams involved become a bit more clear.
PS I had no problems using an American CC for Giants, Swallows, Dragons, Buffaloes and Tigers earlier this year, so I am optimistic about that aspect.
PS I had no problems using an American CC for Giants, Swallows, Dragons, Buffaloes and Tigers earlier this year, so I am optimistic about that aspect.
Oct 22, 2017, 8:28 am
#6
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For any that find stumble across this thread in the future:
TL;DR: Look for a lottery signup to occur during the early parts of the 2nd round.
It appears that there was a lottery to enter during the Climax Series final round. By the time that that round could have been over, the lottery entry was over.
All of the teams remaining appear to be offering general sales, first come first serve, starting 2 days before the first game.
In my case, I checked the procedures before the first round of the Climax Series, and didn't see mention of a Japan Series lottery for any of the teams at that time. I just checked this morning after one of the 2 teams was determined, and saw that I missed the lottery. I need to decide whether or not to release my Fukuoka hotel reservation before general sales start, so I'll probably skip Fukuoka, and try to go to games 3/4/5.
TL;DR: Look for a lottery signup to occur during the early parts of the 2nd round.
It appears that there was a lottery to enter during the Climax Series final round. By the time that that round could have been over, the lottery entry was over.
All of the teams remaining appear to be offering general sales, first come first serve, starting 2 days before the first game.
In my case, I checked the procedures before the first round of the Climax Series, and didn't see mention of a Japan Series lottery for any of the teams at that time. I just checked this morning after one of the 2 teams was determined, and saw that I missed the lottery. I need to decide whether or not to release my Fukuoka hotel reservation before general sales start, so I'll probably skip Fukuoka, and try to go to games 3/4/5.
