Ballparks of Japan thread:
Nippon Professional Baseball (founded: 1950). Previously, Japanese Baseball League (first season: 1937).
-12 teams.
-2 divisions of six: Central and Pacific.
Nagoya Dome, home of the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League.
Location: Nagoya
Opened: 1997
Capacity: 40,500
Surface: Turf
328 400 328
Example of a Geodesic dome.
Koshien Stadium, home of the Hanshin Tigers of the Central League
Location: Nishinomiya
Opened: 1924
Capacity: 47,508
Surface: Grass (all dirt infield)
312 387 312
Original design influenced by Polo Grounds.
Exterior adorned in ivy.
Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima, home of the Hiroshima Carp of the Central League.
Location: Minami-ku, Hiroshima
Opened: 2009
Capacity: 32,000
Surface: Grass
331 400 328
Meiji Jingu Stadium, home of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Central League.
Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo
Opened: 1926
Capacity: 37,933
Surface: Turf
320 394 320
Used for an exhibition of baseball for 1964 Olympic Games, Tokyo.
Yokohama Stadium, home of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Central League.
Location: Naka-ku, Yokohama
Opened:1978
Capacity: 34,046
Surface: Turf
308 387 308
Renovated in 2007.
Tokyo Dome, home of the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League.
Location: Bunkyō, Tokyo
Opened: 1988
Capacity: 45,600
Surface: Turf
329 400 329
All (official) @MLB games played in Japan have been at Tokyo Dome. First: #Cubs vs #Mets March 29, 2000. Cubs 5 Mets 3.
Chiba Marine Stadium, home of the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League.
Location: Chiba
Opened: 1990
Capacity: 30,000
Surface: Turf
326 400 326
PayPay Dome, home of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Pacific League.
Location: Fukuoka
Opened: 1993
Capacity: 40,178
Surface: Turf
328 400 328
Originally named Fukuoka Dome. Japan’s first retractable roofed ballpark.
Sapporo Dome, home of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Pacific League.
Location: Sapporo
Opened: 2001
Capacity: 41,484
Surface: Turf
328 400 328
While baseball is played on artificial turf, dome has retractable grass surface for football (soccer).
Hotto Motto Field Kobe is one of two homes of the Orix Buffaloes of the Pacific League (split games between here and the Kyocera Dome).
Location: Kobe
Capacity: 35,000
Opened: 1988
Surface: Grass
325 400 325
Also, home of the Tigers when HS tournament is played at Koshien.
Kyocera Dome Osaka, is one of two homes of the Orix Buffaloes of the Pacific League (the other being Hotto Motto Field Kobe).
Location: Osaka
Capacity: 36,627
Opened: 1997
Surface: Turf
330 400 330
Occasional home of Hanshin Tigers when Koshien Stadium is not available.
MetLife Dome, is the home of the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Pacific League.
Location: Tokorozawa, Saitama
Capacity: 33,921
Opened: 1979
Surface: Turf
328 400 328
Fixed roof was added 1997-1998, covers the field but walls are open, similar to T-Mobile Park when roof is shut.
Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, is the home of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Pacific League.
Location: Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Capacity: 30,508
Opened: 1950
Surface: Grass
328 400 328
Pens are located underneath stands behind dugout out of site except small window.
That’s all of them. Thanks all. Share your pics and experiences if you have been to any of them.
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