The Tokyo Yakult Swallows play in one of the oldest professional baseball stadiums in Japan. Although Meiji Jingu Stadium lacks many of the modern amenities fans expect from a ballpark, fans regularly pack the park. The ballpark is part of Meiji Jingu Gaien, which is a large athletics complex with a futsal court, an indoor skating rink, tennis courts, and more. Arriving at the ballpark As with many ballparks in Japan, Meiji Jingu Stadium has multiple public transit stations nearby. Sendagaya and Shinanomachi stations, which are both on the Chūō-Sōbu Line, are the two closest train stations to the ballpark. It is a 13-minute walk (about 0.6 miles/1 kilometer) from…
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My day with the Yomiuri Giants – May 25, 2019
When it comes to professional baseball in Japan most people know one team: the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants. In Japan the saying goes that there are two types of baseball fans; those who root for the Giants and those who root against them. So when I recently got to attend a Yomiuri Giants game at the Tokyo Dome I was excited to see the country’s most famous and most vilified team play. Arriving at the ballpark The majority of fans arrive at Tokyo Dome via local trains or subways at Suidōbashi Station, which is a five-minute walk to the stadium. The Tokyo Dome is part of a much larger entertainment complex…
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Revealing my 2019 ballpark resolutions
The new year leads many people to make resolutions to better themselves by losing weight or spending less or quitting bad habits or a host of other goals. I believe in resolutions, but prefer to focus on travel goals at the beginning of the new year. Since 2014, I’ve posted my ballpark travel resolutions on Twitter at the start of the year. So here are my New Year’s ballpark resolutions for 2019… Resolution #1: In 2019, I resolve to see all three @TravelOregon #MiLB teams (@EugeneEmeralds, @HillsboroHops, & @SKVolcanoes) play at home. #PlayBall #NewYearsResolutions — Steven Ericson (@StevenOnTheMove) January 1, 2019 My wife Katie will be completing coursework for an…
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My day with the Saitama Seibu Lions – Sept. 29, 2018
For a long time I have wanted to attend a professional baseball game in Japan. I don’t remember when I first became interested in watching baseball played outside the United States (and outside of MLB). However, when the prospect of moving to Japan became a reality, I became excited about being able to experience a Japanese baseball game in person. So when the prospect of attending a game presented itself after my wife & I had settled into our new home in Japan I jumped at the opportunity. Although we live in Greater Tokyo, my first baseball game in Japan wasn’t going to be seeing the famed Yomiuri Giants. Instead…
