Watching NPB/Pro Baseball in the Tokyo area

Last update: Jan 16th, 2025 - The full schedule for both the preseason and regular season games are now out.

Regular Season Opening Day on March 28th (Friday)

Preseason

https://npb.jp/preseason/2025/schedule_detail.html

The 12 teams will have their spring training in Okinawa or Kyushu and preseason games will start on Feb 22nd.

The first game in the Tokyo area will be on the weekend of March 1st and 2nd when the Giants host the Swallows at the Tokyo Dome. 

The last game will be on March 23rd (Sunday). The teams then take a few days off before the regular season opening day.

Admission fees are charged for preseason games but it is generally much cheaper than the regular season. It is very rare for a preseason game to sell out. If a preseason game is rained out, the game will not be rescheduled.

Regular Season

The full schedule can be viewed on the Japanese site of NPB.

https://npb.jp/games/2025/schedule_03.html

This is the calendar for March. Tap on the numbers in the top column to see the schedule for different months. It usually takes time before any information is uploaded to the English page, so just use a translation device to view this Japanese version.

The home team appears on the left, the opponent on the right. Some games are held in a neutral site away from the usual home venue. For example, the Giants are playing their May 28th home game in the city of Kanazawa instead of the Tokyo Dome.

There is a short pause after the interleague competition finishes in late June (no games scheduled from June 23-26) and another pause for the All-Star break from July 22-25. NPB always has two all star games; Game 1 is at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka on July 23, Game 2 at the Yokohama Stadium on July 24.

Any rainouts will be rescheduled to a later date. If the word (予備日) appears, they are backup dates the league has set aside for any postponed games. For example, the June 9 game at Yokohama Stadium is a 予備日. If the Baystars-Fighters game from the previous date is rained out, this is where it will be rescheduled. If there are no rain outs, there will not be any game held on this date.

If a backup date has not been designated, the postponed games will be added to the end of the season in late September or early October. For the 2024 season, the final regular season game was on on Oct 6 for the Central League and Oct 9 for the Pacific League. The NPB generally tries to avoid doubleheaders and the last time there was one is back in 1998.

Ticket sales will start around late January with each club having a different schedule. 

Post Season

The top three teams from each league advance to the postseason.

The first stage of the playoffs: Oct 11-13 (3rd place team @ 2nd place team) Best of three series

The final stage of playoffs: Oct 15-20 (winner of first stage @ 1st place team) Best of seven with a one win advantage to the first place team

Japan Series: From Oct 25. Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 at the home venue of the Pacific League winning team. Games 3-5 at the Central League winners. Since 1995, all Japan Series games are scheduled in the evening.

Of the five teams in the Tokyo area, the Giants and Swallows have decent information available in English on their websites, including the option to buy tickets. Other teams will require a Japanese phone number for signing up and even with the aid of Google Translate, acquiring tickets might be a big pain.

There used to be organizations like JapanBall, where someone would secure tickets on your behalf for a fee. The NPB has apparently been cracking down on these type of services. 

Giants English Website: http://www.giants.jp/en/

The ticketing site gives you the option to choose tickets from a seating chart. You either print the tickets yourself or pick them up at any 7-Eleven in Japan.

Not all tickets are sold through the official ticketing site and sometimes there is better availability showing on other agency sites (mentioned below).

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

The calendar shows the dates when home games are held. If the ticket sales have already begun, the "buy tickets" icon will be appearing. There is a seat view for each section which should assist with your preference. There is dynamic pricing so usually the price goes up as the game date approaches.

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars also recently opened an English ticketing option though it is poorly designed and not all the information is correctly translated.

https://l-tike.com/st1/baystarsEng/sitetop

Only a small number of tickets (Category FA and FB, infield seats on the third base side) are sold from this "English" platform.

Tickets will need to be retrieved from the LAWSON convenience store by first going to the Loppi kiosk that is located near the ATM or the copy machine. You then receive a receipt to take to the register where the staff will print out your ticket.

The Chiba Lotte Marines or Seibu Lions lack any English options, though it is rare for the tickets to sell out. Going to the box office on game day should be fine for a normal weekday game. 

”Ticket Pia” and "e plus" are reputable online services that sells tickets for all teams, but with only a Japanese option. Also both websites will require a Japanese phone number for verification when opening an account (It will make an automated call to the specified number as part of the signing up process, so you cannot put a random number)

"Lawson Ticket" is another agent. It might allow you to purchase from overseas but payment with a foreign credit card is not possible. It means you have to go to a Lawson convenience store to pay to a clerk within the due date. Usually you are given only three days after purchase. (Information Source https://l-tike.com/guide/en/)

There might be other third party sites offering the tickets but reselling tickets for higher than the face value is now illegal in Japan. In theory one could claim that the ticket was given by a family or friend but some event organizers are refusing entry for tickets linked to an account with suspicious activity. 

(FYI) For teams outside the Tokyo area:

The Chunichi Dragons added the English ticketing option in July 2024, using the same platform that the Swallows use.

https://quick.pia.jp/dragons_en/

The Rakuten Eagles (based in Sendai), Hiroshima Carp and SoftBank Hawks (based in Fukuoka) all have the English option on their websites, but not the choice to purchase tickets directly in English. The Hawks do have a link posted to Klook Travel, a third party booking site where tickets can be purchased. The Hawks officially announced their partnership with Klook, so the tickets sold there are legitimate.

MORE ON THE EXPERIENCE

The season starts around the last weekend of March and continues on until early October. There are two teams in Tokyo and another three in the vicinity, so usually there will be at least one game going on somewhere. Just keep in mind there are usually no games on a Monday, unless it falls on a National Holiday. Games typically start at 6pm on weekdays and anywhere between 1-3pm on the weekends, though this can vary depending on the team. During the hot summer months (July-mid September), most games are moved to the night slot starting from 6pm. 

When getting tickets, take the following into consideration:

Home team fans sit on the first base side, the visiting team on the third base side (It's the opposite at the Belluna Dome; home fans on the third base side)

The most loyal fans occupy the outfield bleachers with continuous cheering/noise throughout the game. In contrast, seats behind home plate are much quieter, and often reserved for season ticket holders who may or may not show up.

Many teams now have a dynamic pricing system where the price will increase with demand. I've never seen the cost drop below the original price, so it's a good idea to secure them early if your plans are firm. Games on weekends and holidays will always attract higher demand regardless of the teams they are facing. Weekday games earlier in the season (April/May) are easier to get, especially if the weather is still chilly at night. From late June to mid July, the Tokyo area heads into a wet season when games can get postponed; getting tickets for the Tokyo Dome or Belluna Dome will eliminate any risk of the game being washed out.