Watching NPB/Pro Baseball in the Tokyo area

Last update: Oct 21st, 2024 - updated the Japan Series schedule

Notes for the 2024 Season

Regular season games have all concluded.

The NPB set a new record with a total 26.6 million fans attending the games, an average of over 31,000 per game.

For the two Tokyo teams- the Giants won 2024 Central League pennant race! Meanwhile the Swallows struggled to a 5th place finish and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Post season:

Despite being the clear favorites, the Giants were upset by the Yokohama DeNA Baystars, a team that was 8 games behind the Giants in the pennant race. The SoftBank Hawks will represent the Pacific League, sweeping the 2nd place Fighters.

The Japan Series will start on the 26th with games 1,2 (Oct 26, 27) and 6, 7 (Nov 2, 3) played at Yokohama Stadium. Games 3-5 (Oct 29-31) will be at the Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka. All games will be played in the evening with either a 6 or 6:30pm start. The Hawks finished the regular season 42 games above .500 (91-49) while the Baystars were only two games above (71-69), this is the biggest difference in Japan Series history.

Tickets will go on sale at noon on Oct 24 and will be available through Lawson Ticket, e+ and Ticket Pia (Fan club members will have an early shot at purchasing, so only a few might be remaining by the time the rest go on sale)

For reference, the below was the rough schedule for the 2024 season.

Preseason games: From Feb 23 to March 24th. Action started in the Okinawa and the first game in the greater Tokyo area was on March 5th when the Baystars returned to Yokohama Stadium.

https://npb.jp/preseason/2024/schedule_detail.html

Admission fees charged for these games. Preseason games do not sell out.

Regular Season: Opening day was on March 29th (Friday) for both the Central and Pacific Leagues.  

 https://npb.jp/games/2024/

The full schedule was released at the end of January.

The All Star Game was played at Hokkaido for Game 1 (July 23rd) and Tokyo's Jingu Stadium for Game 2 (July 24th).

Games rained out earlier in the season were added to late September and October.

Final regular season game was on Oct 6 for the Central League and Oct 9 for the Pacific League. 

The First Stage of the playoffs (2nd place vs 3rd place) starts on Oct 12.

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 agents that handles tickets for all teams, but there is only a Japanese option. 

Also both websites will require a Japanese phone number when opening an account.

There might be other third party sites offering the tickets but there will likely be a heavy ”handling charge" involved. It is suggested you check very carefully (reviews from other users, type of seating) before making the purchase.

(FYI) For teams outside the Tokyo area:

The Chunichi Dragons added the English ticketing option in July 2024, using the same Ticket Pia 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.