An Exciting Evening of Baseball at Yokohama Stadium in Japan

With the commencement of the interleague baseball season, I got to go and watch the Softbank Hawks from the Pacific league challenge the Yokohama DeNA Baystars at their home stadium in Yokohama last week. While I’ve seen baseball games at many of the stadiums in Japan, I find a unique friendly charm in good old Yokohama stadium.

Yokohama stadium does not have Tokyo Dome’s extravagance and size nor does it have Koushien stadium’s history. Quite frankly, the design of the stadium is very standard. However, ever since DeNA took over the Baystars in 2012, they’ve been trying very hard to liven up the team (which currently holds the record for the worst performance in the central league) through creative ticket programs and partial renovation of the stadium.

One of the ticket packages that the Baystars got a lot of media attention for last year was the “Complete Refund!? We’re HOT” ticket. Basically, if you were unsatisfied with the team’s performance that day, you were entitled to a complete refund. While the team still needs to work on achieving actual results in the Central League, these creative efforts have helped expand the fan base.

A change that I got to enjoy personally was the “Omatsuri” (festival) theme they have created just outside the stadium in Yokohama Park. There is an endless selection of scrumptious Japanese street food for very fair prices that are “kind to the wallet” as we say in Japan. My friends and I shared Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki, an award winning Yakisoba, and “torikawa” (chicken skin cooked on a teppan) all for only 1500 yen. At Yokohama stadium, you are free to carry in any foods and drinks (even alcohol!) and so we enjoyed our meal in our outfield seats.

There is no better way to spend a cool spring evening than to meet up with some friends at a baseball “nighter” game. The next time you want to go and watch some good old baseball, I definitely recommend Yokohama stadium. It’s not too far of a jaunt even from Tokyo and its bayside location can’t be matched.