b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #1

This was supposed to be up yesterday, I ended up in the hospital (more on that another time) so it is a little late, sorry!



#1: Koshien Stadium　
阪神甲子園
Location: Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Pref.
場所：西ノ宮市、兵庫県
Team: Hanshin Tigers
チーム：阪神タイガース
Capacity/定員: 46,229
Opened: August 1, 1924





It was destiny. It was manifest destiny. It was preordained before we even started on this journey. Coming in at #1 on the stadium tour is none other than the wonderful, spectacular, stadium-of-stadiums, Koshien! Koshien, which is located in Hyogo Prefecture (not Osaka), is the oldest active NPB stadium in Japan. It is the equivalent of Fenway Park, or Wrigley Field. It is the field of dreams for H.S. baseball players around the country. It is my field of dreams. At the end of last season, Koshien underwent some renovations (extending the roof behind home and removing the obstructive outfield lights) that will probably take it to a new level, unmatched in the whole of Asia. From the first time you set eyes on Koshien, you can feel its magic. It's got freakin ivy covering the outside! How cool is that!? The last time I was there the Ivy was down and a picture of the ivy was up in its place... strange, but that's how iconic it is. While they were renovating the building, they had to put up a picture of the ivy that was missing! Although the stadium itself is a bit on the inaccessible side, especially when compared to Osaka Dome or either of the 2 here in Tokyo. It's worth the trip out to Nishinomiya though. Oh, the trains are stupid crowded before and after the games, think rush hour on the Yamanote-ish. When it comes to concessions, who cares! I don't even remember if I've eaten there, it think there are some decent choices, but that's not why you go to Koshien. You go to see the most loyal, crazy, and dangerous fans in all of Japanese sports. You go to see the dirt infield that H.S. players take home in jars and bags after they've been eliminated from the championship tournament. You go to see the ivy. You go to see a team that has been associated with "the curse of Col. Sanders." You go to hear and sing the most famous baseball song (this side of "take me out to the ball game"), "Rokko-oroshi (六甲おろし≪颪≫)." You go because. Security is off and on, usually not too bad and if you are a Tigers fan, people will give you beer anyway. And sometimes ask you to talk to their wife at home... or give you hamburgers... it is a strange group. Koshien did have some obstructed seats but with the removal of the old outfield lights, that should be taken care of. What still must be changed is the fencing on the outfield walls, tear it down! One thing to note is that it is nigh impossible to get tickets (at least 2 or more together) in right field, but don't worry, everywhere you sit is Tigers territory! Fure, fure, fure, fure!
location: +3
history: +10
fanmasphere: +10
concessions: +2
smoking: -1
bathrooms: -1
sight lines: +4
field surface: +10
outside: +10
surroundings: +2
seats: +2
atmosphere: +10
security: +4

total: +65

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #2

#2:Meiji Jingu Stadium　明治神宮野球場
Location: Tokyo, Tokyo.
場所：東京、東京都
Team: Tokyo Yakult Swallows
チーム：東京ヤクルトスワローズ
Capacity/定員: 37,933
Opened: 1926

Down to the final 2, and, as it should be, it comes down to East vs. West. Several of the top stadiums reside in the Western parts of Japan but coming in at #2 is the highest and last representative from the East! Jingu Stadium! Probably the biggest reason it's here is because it is the most accessible (good) stadium in all of Japan, as it is in central Tokyo. Jingu has its faults; artificial turf, lame home team!, but after its renovation before last season (switch to field turf, concourse upgrade and new video screens) Jingu has stepped its game up. Easy access from several stations (I use Gaien-mae (外苑前) on the Ginza line (銀座線)) but stock up on beer and other goodies before arriving as convenience stores are few and some don't sell alcohol! In this day and age!? One of the best factors that Jingu has is the outfield section which is fairly flat with a large open area behind the stands and wide aisles. The whole stadium is enclosed by a fence which is both strange and cool for some reason. Jingu however, has the same problem as nearly all other stadiums in Japan, fencing on the top of the outfield walls. I'm not sure why Japan likes this... maybe it's for fan safety? maybe it's for player safety? or maybe it's so fans don't mess with the game? Whatever the reason, tear them down! Jingu has a perfect balance of a very old, beautiful outside especially the promenade where you can wait in line before a game (except tigers games where the line stretches out for miles) and a comfortable, modern interior. For Eastern Japan, Jingu is by far and away, the best stadium to take in a game on a summer day, or an autumn day even. In summer, they even have fireworks (kinda weak though). Concession selection is good and there are plenty of beer vendors to quench your thirst, but security is pretty lax so bring your own! Hey, when it all comes down to it, it's the 2nd oldest (pro baseball) stadium running in Japan, and it's a gem!
location: +10
history: +10
fanmasphere: +1
concessions: +3
smoking: -2
bathrooms: +4
sight lines: +5
field surface: +2
outside: +4
surroundings: +3
seats: +3
atmosphere: +2
security: +4

total: +49

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #3

#3: Hiroshima Municipal Stadium　広島市民球場
Location: Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Pref.
場所：広島市、広島県
Team: Hiroshima Toyo Carp
チーム：広島東洋カープ
Capacity/定員: 31,984
Opened: July 20, 1957

We've made it to the final 3, and you can't go wrong with any of them. the final order took some serious thought and I'm sure it will be up for debate but with this selection, it is set. 3 stadiums left, 3 days to 1st pitch, get your tickets now!
so at #3 we have Hiroshima. My experience with Hiroshima is a bit tainted because i had a horrible sunburn from waiting outside before a game last May. But, the only reason Hiroshima was destined for only 3rd is that it no longer exists (for the sake of argument). After 51 years of service, Hiroshima Municipal Stadium (Also refered to as Hiroshima Civic Stadium) has been retired in favor for Mazda Zoom Zoom! Enough about that.One fault Hiroshima has is that it feels (and was) thrown together quickly. It was built in only 7 months! there are very few concessions available and about 2 tiny bathrooms for the entire left field section! What Hiroshima lacks in building planning, it makes up for in charm. From its retro-dirt infield to its minor-league dimensions to its reddish-orange foul poles it feels like a wonderful place to watch a game. it feels very intimate. Hiroshima also has a big advantage in that the team name does not (usually) contain a company name (along with Yokohama) and is owned mostly by the city. This leads to Hiroshima having some of the best fans in Japan, loyal to the end with one of the best chants in all the land. However, it is a bit overused. Hiroshima is also the only place where you don't actually need to leave the stands to smoke, just climb to the top of the bleaches and fire it up with a nice view of Hiroshima castle. Ah, location. Hiroshima municipal stadium had the best location of all. A perfect downtown spot, across the street from the A-bomb dome (原爆ドーム).This is a huge loss for the new stadium, however, it will be a bit more convenient as the new stadium is placed right next to the tracks at new Hiroshima station (新広島駅). The new location will be much better for out-of-towners, but it will lose a lot of its atmosphere. I'm sure the carp fans will still show up in force. I'm excited at the prospect of visiting the new stadium because it's a unique design and from what I've heard, it'll be more like a U.S. stadium as it's gonna be the only stadium in Japan with different distances to the right and left field walls! crazy! I'm not sure what the plans are for the land on which Hiroshima M. Stadium stood, but I'm sure it will not be nearly as interesting, nor have the cultural significance of Hiroshima Municipal Stadium For all its faults and because all of its charm, Hiroshima M. Stadium will be dearly missed. お疲れ様, 広島市民球場!

location: +5
history: +4
fanmasphere: +3
concessions: -4
smoking: +10
bathrooms: -4
sight lines: +4
field surface: +5
outside: +5
surroundings: +5
seats: +1
atmosphere: +4
security: +5

total: +43

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #4

#4: Skymark Stadium スカイマークスタジアム
Location: Kobe City, Hyogo Pref.
場所：神戸市、兵庫県
Team: Orix Buffaloes
チーム：オリックスバファローズ
Capacity/定員: 35,000
Opened: 1988

I'll start this off with a simple statement. Skymark is only #4 because it has a short history and it really doesn't have a "home" team as the Buffaloes play most of there games in the Osaka Dome nowadays. It's really too bad, this is one of the real jewels here in Japan. I'd say that it is the most American-like stadium of them all in Japan. Skymark is a in an unfortunate location, it's pretty far from downtown but surrounded by trees in a pretty scenic area/sports complex. The old name was "Kobe Green Stadium," which was fitting because the seats are all green, and the surrounding area is, well, green. The entire stadium is well designed with a wonderful concourse behind the outfield seats that offer a really good selection of foods, I highly recommend the giant cheese-dog! Orix fans have some of the best chants in the game and they do a Soccer-esque towel chant sometimes that is pretty original and hard to follow, luckily they give you an instructional guide (which more teams should) for the un-initiated. The views are perfect, baseball sight lines. The only obstructed views are from the concourse, something they could fix, but they would lose some advertising space. I've being trying to think of something negative to say about the place and it's hard. It's far. And I guess the seats don't have any backs, but other than that it is near perfect. I just wish that the Buffaloes would play more games there, like all of them. This year they are only scheduled to play there 13 times this year... sad. I'm glad that I had the chance to visit and if only it had a little more history and tradition (remember the Orix Buffaloes are a merging of the "Orix Blue Wave" and the "Kintetsu Buffaloes" in 2004).
location: -0
history: -2
fanmasphere: +3
concessions: +5
smoking: +2
bathrooms: -1
sight lines: +5
field surface: +5
outside: +3
surroundings: +2
seats: +3
atmosphere: +2
security: +4

total: +31

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #5

#5: Kleenex Stadium Miyagi　クリネックススタジアム宮城
Location: Sendai City, Miyagi Pref.
場所：仙台市、宮城県
Team: Touhouku Rakuten Golden Eagles
チーム：東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス
Capacity/定員: 23,000
Opened: 1950

At #5 on our tour we head to the most northern stop on our journey to the city of Sendai (仙台) in Miyagi prefecture (宮城県). Until the last moment Kleenex Stadium Miyagi was sitting pretty at #2. what, you ask, caused me to knock it down to #5 then? well, it was a tough decision. I guess it comes down to accessibility. it's just in a far off land that most people wouldn't care to visit normally. I think it's a wonderful stadium with a longer history than you would guess (especially because there was not a pro team there until 2005?). After the Touhoku Rakuten golden eagles(東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス) moved there, the stadium went through several renovations to create a very unique stadium. There are more seating choices than any other stadium in Japan and also unique is that the home fans' main cheering section is in left field. The stadium is a short bus ride from Sendai station and buses are frequent. What makes k stadium stand out also is the number of quality restaurants around and in the stadium. There are tons of great choices and i recommend the beef tongue curry (牛タンカレー), a local specialty. Security... Kleenex Stadium Miyagi is the only stadium that I've sat anywhere besides the outfield and if you sit in the infield, be ready for a strip search! they are serious! i also sat in the outfield and that is pretty average as far as security goes.Also, it should be noted that you can freely come and go from the stadium after receiving a simple hand stamp, something i haven't seen anywhere else.
Eagles fans are good. They've really rallied around their new team and are very supportive however, because it is still a new team, most of the cheers are pretty generic and the team song (sounds very classically right-wing-ish) is played over the loud speakers complete with words during the 7th inning stretch. Another reason i knocked this one down, lack of tradition. Still, one of the best/most interesting/unique baseball stadiums in Japan. Oh, did I mention that it is named "Kleenex Stadium Miyagi"????????

location: +1
history: -0
fanmasphere: +2
concessions: +5
smoking: -1
bathrooms: +2
sight lines: +3
field surface: +1
outside: +2
surroundings: +5
seats: +3
atmosphere: +2
security: -0

total: +25

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #6

#6:Yokohama Stadium 横浜スタジアム
Location: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
場所：横浜市、神奈川県
Team: Yokohama Baystars
チーム：横浜ベイスターズ
Capacity/定員: 30,000
Opened: April 4, 1978

I know deuce is gonna be disappointed that Yokohama stadium would show up this early in the countdown but it was only a last minute change that got it this high. I ended up moving Seibu Dome down a spot because it does have some security and a roof. Yokohama does not have the disadvantage of a roof. It also all but lacks the "presence" of security which is awesome! You can pretty much walk right in with bags of beer. A huge plus! What Yokohama is lacking is much personality. It's fairly generic. The most remarkable feature of the ballpark is the oddly shaped lights. The concessions are sparse. I mean, really sparse. There's like one place. Pretty weak. Another problem is that in the outfield, the stands are stupid sharply angled. During a rain game I bailed on my ass while walking down the stairs, and I bailed hard, it was hilarious. You'd think that this would give you some decent sight lines, however, take a look at this view...Although these obstructed view seats aren't numerous, they are pretty lame. The one good thing that Yokohama has to offer is that you are very, very unlikely to end up with one of these seats because one thing that Yokohama doesn't suffer from is what you might call "crowding"yeah, this is actually during a game...
I will say that I do enjoy Yokohama, it's convenient for me (easy to get to from the Keihintouhoku line via Kannai station (京浜東北線、関内駅) and of course it's also located near Chinatown (中華街), Minatomirai (みなと未来), Yamashita Park (山下公園), Foreigner Cemetery (外人墓地), and the bay. It's a good place to spend a summer day with smuggled beer and some homies. There is a very high chance of rain as it seems 99% of Baystars games experience some amount of rainfall... odd.

location: +4
history: -2
fanmasphere: +1
concessions: -5
smoking: +1
bathrooms: -2
sight lines: -0
field surface: +3
outside: +2
surroundings: +5
seats: +2
atmosphere: +2
security: +5

total: +16

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #7

#7: Seibu Dome 西武ドーム
Location: Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
場所：所沢、埼玉県
Home Team: Saitama Seibu Lions
チーム；埼玉西武ライオンズ
Capacity/定員: 35,655
Opened: April 14, 1979

At number 7 on the countdown, we stay in the Kanto (関東) area but head slightly north to Saitama prefecture. Although this stadium has been through several name changes in its day, it is the Seibu Dome. Ah, a dome... but! It's not what you have come to expect from a dome, it is actually really cool. There's no air conditioning! The reason is that it is not completely enclosed. Although the roof covers the entire field and stands, beyond the stands the walls don't touch the ground. It's pretty cool. It lets the breeze flow in and lends to the possibility of balls actually leaving the yard. The concessions around the stadium are pretty nice with a decent variety of food. The security at Seibu dome is a bit on the strict side so hide your beer well! Seibu Dome is also a bit different than a lot of other stadiums around here in that it's not really near a big station but this seems to keep down on unnecesary crowding from passengers that haven't just left the stadium. The closest station is Seibukyujo-mae (西武球場前) and the stadium is surrounded by trees and a sort-of theme park. The stadium itself started out without a roof and remained that way for nearly 20 years before the roof was completed in 1998. The most unique feature of the stadium the the outfield which only has a few rows of bleachers behind a sloped, astro turf hill where people can throw down a tarp, kick off their shoes and set up a little picnic like atmosphere. Don't let the shoes go to far away because they are great beer holders since it is sloped, your beer will fall over if you set it down. Seibu fans are pretty loyal eventhough many of their best players have left over recent years and they have some of the best cheers of any fans in Japan. Catchy!

location: +2
history: -3
fanmasphere: +2
concessions: +2
smoking: +2
bathrooms: +2
sight lines: +1
field surface: -5
outside: +2
surroundings: +2
seats: +3
atmosphere: +3
security: -3

total: +10

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #8

#8: Chiba Marine Stadium,
千葉マリンスタジアム
Location: Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture
場所：千葉市、千葉県
Home team: Chiba Lotte Marines
チーム：千葉ロッテマリーンズ
Capacity/定員: 30,000
Opened: February 2, 1990





Chiba Lotte Marine Stadium is just a short trip out of Tokyo but it's a world away. The stadium is accessed by using Kaihin Makuhari station and then a decent walk towards Tokyo Bay. The surroundings are a stark contrast to what you would leave behind in Tokyo with no skyscrapers and expansive views in all directions. The stadium is located near the Makuhari Messe conference complex and not too much else. It is one of the stadiums with any decent parking available near the stadium, but of you're walking, you'll be doing a lot of it compared to what you can expect from most stadiums here in Japan. Marine Stadium has a couple of things going for it: it's near the ocean, it has a unique design (for Japan) and the Marines fans are some of the loudest and most loyal of all in Japan. However it has several things that don't much go in their favor: concessions are few, the fans look and sound more like a combination of soccer and racing fans than baseball ones, the outfield stands are near vertical and it has astro turf... astro turf... It's not a terrible stadium, I mean it's pretty average though, remenicient of the cookie-cutter multi-purpose stadiums built in the U.S. in the '60's and '70's. It's unique location is a plus, but the biggest thing it has going for it is that Bobby Valentine is the manager of the team... It doesn't have a dome! But, astro turf...

location: +2
history: -3
fanmasphere: -0
concessions: -2
smoking: +1
bathrooms: +1
sight lines: +2
field surface: -5
outside: +1
surroundings: +2
seats: -0
atmosphere: +1
security: +5

total: +5

b?'s magical mystery stadium tour! #9

Roll up, roll up for the stadium tour! The crack of the bat, the smell of the grass, it's spring again. Ahh, it's spring again! Although the 1st pitch of the 2009 NPB season is still a few weeks away, it's time to start rolling out my "b?'s magical mystery stadium tour!!" To start, here's a list of the stadiums I have yet to visit here in Japan:
*note: I will visit Sapporo dome in June, and I will try to visit the new Hiroshima stadium this year. Other than those, all remaining stadiums are stupid domes...

Sapporo Dome, 札幌ドーム
Location: Sapporo、Hokkaido
場所：札幌、北海道
Home Team: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
チーム：北海道日本ハムファイターズ
Capacity/定員:　53,845
Opened: June 3, 2001

Fukuoka Dome, 福岡ドーム
Location: Fukuoka
場所：福岡、福岡県
Home team: Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
チーム：福岡ソフトバンクホークス
Capacity/定員: 35,695
Opened: April 2, 1993

Nagoya Dome, 名古屋ドーム
Location: Nagoa, Aichi Prefecture
場所：名古屋、愛知県
Home Team: Chunichi Dragons
チーム：中日ドラゴンズ
Capacity/定員: 40,500
Opened: March 15, 1997

Kyocera Dome, 京セラドーム
Location: Osaka
場所：大阪、大阪府
Home Team: Orix Buffaloes, Hanshin Tigers
チーム：オリックスバファローズ、阪神タイガース
Capacity/定員: 36,477
Opened: March 1, 1997

the countdown from 9-1 begins now!

#9: Tokyo Dome, 東京ドーム
Location: Tokyo
場所：東京、東京都
Home team: Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
チーム：東京読売ジャイアンツ
Capacity/定員：: 55,000
Opened: March 17, 1988
By far the worst stadium I've been to in Japan. It's not close. It's a dome. The seats are small, the aisles are narrow, the walls are high, obstructed view seats and steep slopes in the outfield... shame, shame. Tokyo dome, aka the big egg, is located in Korakuen (後楽園 (aka Tokyo dome city, an amusement park)) in central Tokyo with easy access from Korakuen (後楽園駅) and Suidobashi (水道橋駅) stations. Concessions are decent and one of only a few stadiums where you can see the field from the concourse (excluding the outfield). Tokyo dome is pressurized so you are sucked in and blown out of the revolving doors. The biggest negative (aside from the roof and the overall forgetfulness of the stadium itself) is the security. Security is very strict so you'll either be paying inflated prices inside, or you'll be carrying 5 cups to your seat. Oh yeah, and it's the home of the most annoying fans in Japan with the most annoying cheers for the most annoying team. At least there's never a rain out...
location: +5
history: -2
fanmasphere: -5
concessions: +3
smoking: -2
bathrooms: +2
sight lines: -2
field surface: -5
outside: -4
surroundings: +3
seats: -5
atmosphere: -5
security: -5

total: -24