How to Buy Tickets to a Japanese Baseball Game

Going to a baseball game in Japan is one of the coolest things you can do on your trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. Even if you’re not a big baseball or sports fan, it’s a rare chance to experience a side of Japanese culture that is rarely seen anywhere else – people cheering, singing, drinking, and even talking to strangers.

For anyone that has spent time in Japan, you’ll know that these public displays of emotion are almost non-existent in day to day life. The trains and subways are dead silent, a Japanese man would prefer to miss his train rather than ask a stranger for directions, and even normally lively places such as bars and restaurants can be extremely subdued and quiet.

But getting tickets to a baseball game can be trickier than it should be in a country with 200 mile-per-hour trains and incredible efficiency. There are not many websites or guides in English, and especially outside of the main tourist cities it can be very difficult to find much information at all on Japanese baseball.

Hopefully this guide will help you through the process of buying tickets and get you to the stadium to catch that awesome baseball game.

What is the Japanese Baseball League?

Baseball in Japan, or the Nippon Professional Baseball league (NPB), is the highest baseball league in Japan and is known as the second best league in the world outside of the MLB. It was founded in the early 20th century and the history of Japanese baseball is very intertwined with modern Japanese culture. The season runs from April to October, so whether you are visiting Japan for the cherry blossom season in the spring or fall, or you are there during summer vacation, there is a good chance there will be a baseball game that fits your schedule.

Why is Japanese Baseball so Fun?

Japanese people absolutely love the sport of baseball, and it is by far the most popular sport in the country. For example, the high school baseball tournament in August is the equivalent of March Madness in American College Basketball. But what makes going to a ballgame extra cool is the vibe at each stadium. Drinks and food are the same price as outside the stadium, and like everywhere in Japan, the food is affordable, unique, and absolutely delicious. (This is a great selling point to convince your friend or spouse to go with you to the game – who doesn’t want to try more amazing Japanese street food!)

In addition, each team has their own cheering and dances, and it’s a really fun experience. In my opinion, games in Japan are far more entertaining than MLB games in America, but that’s not to take anything away from the American baseball experience. It’s just really awesome in Japan!

How Much do Japanese Baseball Tickets Cost?

Like most sports tickets, the price varies tremendously. However, overall tickets are very affordable. The average price of a good ticket is usually between 3,500 – 4,500 Yen ($23- $30). The price can vary depending on the stadium, day of the week (weekends cost more), and who the opponent is. Some tickets can run as cheap as 1,500 Yen ($10) for standing room, while fancier seats can go up to 15,000 Yen (around $100).

Which Tickets Should I Buy?

Japanese baseball games are similar to European soccer (football) games, in that the home fans and away fans generally sit separately. While this is something foreign in American sports culture, in Europe and Japan it is popular as the fans want to cheer and sing together. I highly recommend sitting in the cheering sections (ouendan in Japanese) which is usually in right field, although sometimes it can be behind the 3rd base dugout.

Usually on the ticket options it says where the home fans and cheering sections are, but you can also do some quick research and see from online forums and videos where the liveliest fans tend to sit. So unless you want a more luxurious option of sitting closer to the field, or are particularly sensitive to noise, do yourself a favor and buy a ticket as close as possible to the cheering section.

How Do I Buy Tickets to the Game?

Ok now that you’ve decided to go to a game and convinced your travel partner to join along, let’s get into the hard work. In general, there are 4 ways to get tickets and we’ll go over each one and their pros and cons.

Option 1: Walk-up Tickets

Pros:

No processing fees that online sites and convenience stores usually charge.
Simple, easy process without the headache of non English websites or convenience store workers who don’t know English.

Cons:

Can sell out.
Cash only.
Might have to go earlier than you wanted to guarantee tickets.
Might have less options of where to sit than if you order in advance.

The easiest way to get tickets to any stadium is just to go to the ticket office outside the ballpark before the game. Each team has a certain number of “walk up tickets” that are meant exactly for that, and ticket sales open 3 hours before gametime.

However there are two problems with that. The first one is easily solvable, and that is most teams only accept cash for these tickets. In Japan there are many places that do cash-only so by now you should have learned that cash is king and you should always have some on hand.

The second problem is a little harder to solve and you probably guessed it: Walk up tickets aren’t guaranteed. Some ballparks such as Hanshin Koshien stadium in Kobe or the Dome in Tokyo tend to sell out in advance, so if you already went out of your way to get to the ballpark, it would be a shame not to be able to get in. And I totally understand that. We bought our tickets in advance because we definitely did not want to miss seeing a game at Meiju Jingu Stadium in Tokyo, one of the best stadiums in Japan.

And while some stadiums have ticket offices open earlier than 3 hours before game time, and some even sell tickets for games on a future date, these times and hours are inconsistent so I wouldn’t rely on being able to do that.

That being said, you have very high chances of grabbing walk up tickets if you’re trying to catch a game in a less popular stadium (Fukuoka, Yokohama, Nagoya, etc.). In addition, if you go early enough before the game, or are attending a midweek game, your chances are pretty high as well.

Option 2: Buying from Convenience Stores or Loppi Machines

Pros:

They are everywhere.
Can buy in advance.

Cons:

Machines are usually only in Japanese and store workers have limited English to help.
Limited info about which stores have ticket options, and to which stadiums and games.

Most people agree that this isn’t a great option due to the language issue. You might be lucky and find a machine that has English settings (especially around Tokyo) or get even luckier and find an employee that has basic English and a few minutes to help, but there are higher chances that you will look at the worker confused, end up buying some delicious 7/11 sushi, and walk out.

In general this is the least popular option, however you don’t have much to lose considering you can’t walk 30 seconds without seeing a 7/11 or Lawson in Japan!

Option 3: Buying Tickets From the Team Website

Pros:

Can buy in advance.
Large variety of options.
Guaranteed tickets to the game you want.

Cons:

Not all teams have websites in English.
Sites can be confusing (even the ones in English). Sometimes you need an address in Japan or other accounts or confirmations.
Some charge extra processing fees when buying online.

If you want to guarantee that you will make it to a specific game, or you want to buy tickets to one of the more popular stadiums, then this is your best bet. However, it’s not always so simple, so follow the guide for each stadium.

Each team has their own ticketing website and only the most popular ones have websites in English. And even those with English websites are usually not that good! Take the Tokyo Yakult Swallows website’s translation and layout for example, and this is one of the better ones for foreigners:

^{The not-so-native English on the Yellow Swallows website – one of the more popular teams and stadiums.}

Lets go over each team’s website starting with the most popular stadiums:

Hanshin Tigers – Hanshin Koshien Stadium: Kobe

Website: https://hanshintigers.jp/ticket/

Tigers tickets might be the hardest to get in all of Japan for 2 reasons: 1) they have the most historic stadium in the country and 2) they have the most loyal fan base and a recent championship in 2023. However, if you are able to navigate their website and find available seats, I would highly recommend going to Hanshin Koshien stadium. It’s the last professional ballpark with an all-dirt infield, Babe Ruth played here, and it’s the hallowed ground of the High School Championship, every Japanese kid’s dream.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows – Meiji Jingu Stadium: Tokyo

Website: https://www.yakult-swallows.co.jp/en/

Meiji Jingu stadium is a close 2nd in terms of historical significance and vibe. Tickets are also easier to get and cheaper than Tigers ones, and everyone visiting Japan is in Tokyo at some point. I got tickets rather effortlessly from their website in 2023 and then printed them at a 7/11 a few hours away. The website has even improved since then. In my opinion Meiji Jingu stadium is the best combination of easily accessible, fair price, and fan experience (check out the umbrella dance).

Tokyo Giants – Tokyo Dome: Tokyo

Website: https://www.e-tix.jp/ticket_giants/en/

Although the stadium doesn’t provide the best experience, the Giants are the most storied team in the country (22 championships) and the stadium is modern, cool, easily accessible, and perhaps the most foreign friendly one, so it’s an easy visit. The website is easy to navigate and has good English so this one won’t be a problem.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – Mizuho PayPay Dome: Fukuoka

Website: https://www.klook.com/en-US/activity/135264-fukuoka-softbank-hawks-baseball-game-ticket/?lang=en_US

The Hawks are one of the best franchises (11 championships) and have also dominated recently, especially throughout the 2010’s. So if you want to see a competitive game with a loyal fan base, this will be a great experience. As a bonus you can visit the Sadaharu Oh museum near the stadium. The ticket website is run through a 3rd party called “Klook” but it seems to work relatively well.

Hiroshima Carp – Mazda ZoomZoom Stadium: Hiroshima

Website: https://www.carp.co.jp/ticket/index.html

Many tourists go to Hiroshima for the atomic bomb memorials and museum, but Hiroshima is actually a nice, modern and cheap city with some other cool things to do. Carp tickets sell out fast and the website can be a bit confusing, so it’s best to buy as far in advance as possible.

The rest of the teams have limited websites in English or you need to make an account in order to buy tickets. Most of these are cities with less tourists and less popular teams, so there’s a lower chance that foreigners will make it to one of these ballparks. However, the experience will still be amazing no matter which stadium or city you can make it to, so if you succeed in navigating a badly translated Japanese website, I promise you will have a great time at any of these ballparks!

Option 4: Third party ticket sites

If all else fails, the last option is buying tickets from 3rd party scalping websites such as Viagogo or Stubhub. I would suggest avoiding this as much as possible because tickets can be fake, laws and refunds are different as it’s a foreign country, communication with the seller may be difficult, and you are almost always going to pay far more than what you would on the official website.

However if you can’t navigate the team websites, or tickets are sold out for the stadium and date you wanted, it’s not a terrible option. Viagogo seems to be more popular for Japanese baseball tickets, but I have seen some on StubHub and other websites as well.

Conclusion

I hope this guide helps you navigate through the ticket buying process. No matter which option you choose, make sure to make it to a ballgame when you visit Japan – I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Baseball in Japan – Your Guide to Nippon Professional Baseball