How to Watch NPB Games in Japan – A Ticket Survival Guide for MLB Fans!
Every Game Is Game 7!? Surviving Japan’s Baseball Ticket Wars
Remember that attendance rate we looked at earlier?
>>How popular is pro baseball in Japan, you ask?
Even for games involving Chunichi Dragons or Yakult Swallows — which are probably the easiest teams in the Central League to get tickets for — their stadiums are still more packed than LAD or NYY.
NPB is wild, isn’t it!?
If you’re thinking of catching a game, your best bets during a Tokyo trip are Tokyo Dome, Jingu Stadium, or Yokohama Stadium.
Unlike Hanshin — which sells all of its tickets for the entire season on February 25 (seriously, is that good marketing or bad!?) — teams like the Giants, BayStars, Swallows, and Dragons usually release tickets about two months before each game.
That means… some games might still be available, before they get swallowed by the ticket war vortex!
That said… for Hanshin games at Tokyo Dome, tickets can sell out within 30 minutes of release — and good luck even getting into the ticketing site during that time. Like… what even is that!?
So be sure to keep an eye on the official team websites, or check out TORA-NEKO’s ticket guides:
- How to get Tokyo Yakult Swallows tickets (TORA-NEKO Guide)
- How to get Yokohama DeNA BayStars tickets (TORA-NEKO Guide)
- How to get Chunichi Dragons tickets (TORA-NEKO Guide)
Both Yokohama DeNA and Tokyo Yakult Swallows offer resale options through official platforms, so sometimes you can even grab tickets last-minute!
But keep in mind: Jingu and Yokohama are open-air stadiums, and Japan’s baseball season is smack in the middle of rainy months.
So yes… rainouts do happen. Fingers crossed for clear skies! ☀️☔
Want to avoid the heartbreak of a rained-out game?
Head for Tokyo Dome or Vantelin Dome Nagoya, which are both fully covered!
From Tokyo to Nagoya: Your Chance to Catch Japan’s Craziest Fans
Sure, Hanshin games at Tokyo Dome feel like Game 7 of the World Series,
but over at Nagoya Dome, there’s still a chance!
Nagoya is also the perfect stopover between Tokyo and Kyoto — or vice versa!
From Tokyo to Nagoya, it’s just about 90 minutes by shinkansen.
From Osaka, it’s only 50 minutes, and from Kyoto, even faster: just 30 minutes!
If it’s a daytime game, you can totally do a day trip from any of those cities.
Getting tickets for Nagoya games is pretty much the same level of challenge as for Tokyo Yakult or Yokohama —
and on weekdays, you might still find tickets available even last-minute.
But on weekends… yeah, it’s basically MLB Postseason mode. 😂
Oh! One important note —
While most NPB stadiums allow small bottled drinks, Vantelin Dome Nagoya does not allow any food or drinks from outside.
So if you accidentally bring a drink, you’ll face a heartbreaking choice at the gate:
🥲 Toss it out…
or
😵💫 Chug it right there, balloon up, and spend the game making bathroom runs instead of cheering.
…Either way, not ideal.
Check out our NPB Stadium Guide article here (TORA-NEKO Guide) for more tips and rules for each ballpark!