How to Buy Tokyo Baseball Tickets Including Yomiuri Giants Tickets

Baseball is the most popular amateur and professional sport in Japan and we can confirm that Japanese baseball games are an amazing experience!  After hearing about the Japanese love of baseball, we definitely wanted to attend a baseball game during our family trip to Japan.  We ended up attending a sold-out match between the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers played at the Tokyo Dome. We loved how much the crowd got into supporting their teams, the chants and drums and the sheer excitement each time a run was scored! If you are sports nuts like us or simply want a glimpse into modern Japanese culture, attending a Japanese baseball game should be high on your Japan travel bucket list.

It’s easy to watch baseball games in Tokyo or within a short distance of the city. In this article, we will introduce you to five Japanese baseball teams – two baseball teams in Tokyo itself and three baseball teams near Tokyo. We will briefly talk about the records for each of the teams; and provide details on match schedules, team locations, home grounds, and how to get to each of the venues. Most importantly, we will also tell you how and where to buy baseball tickets in Japan for each of the five teams, so you can choose a match that fits into your itinerary and therefore experience Japan Baseball for yourself.

Recommended options to purchase your Japan Baseball tickets include:

  • Click here to book Japan Baseball tickets through a Personal Shopper for Japan on Fiverr. Our recommended shoppers include Sean and Yuco, and there are also other personal shoppers on Fiverr you can choose from. Each shopper only has limited purchasing capacity each week, so ensure you book early to get your preferred option.
  • Click here to book Baseball reseller tickets through viaGoGo

Professional Baseball Regular Season Tickets

We recommend purchasing your Japan baseball tickets in advance.  You can book tickets months in advance, and there is a wide range of seating choices available.

One of the most popular professional baseball teams in Japan is the Yomiuri Giants, whose home ground is the Tokyo Dome, located on the northern side of Tokyo.  The Tokyo Dome has a full roof, so you can enjoy baseball matches in all weather conditions. You can purchase your tickets through each of the team’s official ticket sites, as detailed below.

TeamOffical Ticket Site Links
Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri Giants Ticket Site (English)
Tokyo Yakult SwallowsYakult Swallows Ticket Site (English)
Yokohama DeNA BaystarsYokohama DeNA Baystars Ticket Site (Japanese)
Chiba Lotte MarinesChiba Lotte Marines Ticket Site (Japanese)
Saitama Seibu LionsSaitama Seibu Lions Ticket Site (Japanese)

Japanese Baseball Season

The Japanese professional baseball season is held from late March to October, with games taking place on most days of the week apart from Monday.  The season starts in late March and finishes in late September each year.  Following completion of the regular season, the Climax Series – the league playoffs – are held in late October.

The final stage of the season is the Nippon Series Championship between the league champions which is usually a series of seven matches held in late October/early November.

You can also see Japanese baseball games during the pre-season, and there are also All-Star games periodically throughout each year.

Yomiuri Giants Baseball in the Tokyo Dome
Yomiuri Giants Baseball in the Tokyo Dome

Japanese Baseball Teams

There are twelve teams competing in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, of which five teams are located in or close to Tokyo, making it easy to watch a Tokyo baseball game. The teams are broken into two leagues: The Pacific League and the Central League. This article will look at the Tokyo baseball teams first, then the three teams near Tokyo.

Baseball Tokyo

If you’re in Japan and want to watch a baseball game, Tokyo is one of your best options. There are two main teams to choose from. The first Tokyo baseball team is the Yomiuri Giants. The second Tokyo baseball team is the Yakult Swallows.

Yomiuri Giants (the Tokyo Giants)

The Yomiuri Giants are also commonly referred to as the Tokyo Giants. As an aside, as part of the writing of this article, we came across all sorts of interesting variations on Yomiuri (Yom-i-ur-i) Giants, including Yomuri Giants, Yomirui Giants, Yomiyuri Giants, Yumuri Giants and the Yomuiri Giants. Obviously, it’s a tough name to say and spell for non-Japanese speaking people such as myself.

The Giants are part of the Central League. They have a great record, having won 36 Central League pennants since the inception of the Central League in 1949. They have also won 22 Japan Series Championships since it started in 1950. Four of those Championship wins have been in the 2000s, with their most recent win being in 2012.

Tokyo Giants Schedule

The Yomiuri Giants Tokyo Dome baseball schedule can be found at this link. You may also be interested to see how many other events are held in this venue, including many music concerts. Here is the link for the full Tokyo Giants baseball schedule of home and away matches.

Giants Home Ground

The Tokyo Giants stadium is the Tokyo Dome. The Tokyo Dome is a fully enclosed stadium, so you can watch the match in comfort regardless of the weather conditions. The Tokyo Dome seating capacity of 55,000 people means every seat is quite close to the action! On the Tokyo Dome baseball seating chart, you can see that most seats are located on the two sides of the playing triangle closest to the batting area. The Tokyo Dome is part of the larger Tokyo Dome City entertainment complex, which includes an amusement park, hotel, hot springs spa complex and many more activities.

How to Get to the Tokyo Dome Stadium

The easiest way to get to the Tokyo Dome is to catch the train.  The Tokyo Dome is a 450m walk from Korakuen station on the Metro Maranouchi Line, which is a 9-minute train ride north of Tokyo Station.

How to buy Yomiuri Giants Tickets to see Baseball in Tokyo

If you want to see a Tokyo Giants game, you can purchase Tokyo Dome baseball tickets at the gate, but you may have difficulty getting tickets for the better seating positions for the most popular matches.

If you want to plan ahead, I suggest that you book your Tokyo Giants tickets several months in advance, when there are a wide range of seating choices available.

How to buy Tokyo Giants Tickets through the Official Website

You can also purchase Yomiuri Giants tickets online through the official Giants ticket site. Tokyo Giants baseball tickets for games played at the Tokyo Dome range from 1,700 Yen ($US16) to 6,200 Yen ($US57) (including taxes), with higher prices for specific matches. Be aware that tickets often sell out quickly following the release of each ticket session.  Tickets for the Tokyo Dome are usually released approximately 80 days prior to each match.

Watching the Yomiuri Giants in the Tokyo Dome Baseball - Score!
Watching the Yomiuri Giants in the Tokyo Dome Baseball – Score!

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Another great option to watch Tokyo baseball games is the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, who are part of the Central League. The Yakult Swallows have won 7 Central League pennants and 5 Japan Series Championships. Their most recent Championship win was in 2001.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows Schedule

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows schedule for games at Jingu Stadium can be found at this link. Click on this link for the full calendar of home and away matches. One month of matches is shown on the schedule, so just click on the month you want to look at.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows Home Ground

The Tokyo Swallows home ground is Jingu Stadium. Built in 1926, it is the oldest baseball stadium in Tokyo and the second oldest of all Japanese ballparks. Jingu Stadium has a seating capacity of 38 000 people. One of the fun things about this venue is that the Yakult Swallow’s fans celebrate by raising their umbrellas and singing, which really adds to the match atmosphere.

Jingu Stadium is located in the Meiji shrine complex in Shinjuku, which is a shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken and is one of Japan’s most popular shrines. The shrine complex is found in a forest of 70 hectares (170 acres) and consists of an inner precinct which includes the shrine buildings, including a treasure house and the outer precinct, which includes Jingu Stadium, Tokyo Olympic Stadium and the Meiji Memorial Hall.

Baseball Match at Meiji Jingu Stadium
Baseball Match at Meiji Jingu Stadium

How to Get to Jingu Stadium

Jingu Stadium is in the middle of Tokyo in Shinjuku and beside Shibuya, so it is very easy to access for many visitors to Tokyo. The best way to get to Jingu Stadium is by using either the subway or train. For the subway, you can use the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G03) to get to Gaiemmae Station. The stadium is then a 5-minute walk from Exit 3. The other option is to use the Toei Subway Oedo Line (E25) to get to Kokuritsu-Kyogijo Station, with the stadium a 12-minute walk from Exit A2. If you want to use the train system, Jingu Stadium is a 12-minute walk from JR Shinanomachi Station or a 15-minute walk from JR Sendagaya Station,

How to buy Tokyo Swallows Tickets to see Baseball in Tokyo

Tickets to see the Tokyo Swallows play can be purchased at the gate, with the cheapest ticket being the non-reserved adult outfield value tickets can be purchased for 1300 Yen.

How to buy Yakult Swallows Tickets through the Official Website

Another online booking option is to book through the Swallows ticket site, which is slightly cheaper, but you can only book up to about one month in advance, and there are fewer seating options available.

Baseball Near Tokyo

If you want to watch baseball near Tokyo, there are three main teams to choose from. The DeNA Baystars play in Yokohama to the southwest of Tokyo, the Lotte Marines home ground is in Chiba to the east of Tokyo, and the Saitama Seibu Lions play out of Seibu to the north west of Tokyo.

Yokohama DeNA Baystars

The Yokohama DeNA Baystars play in the Central League. Compared to other teams, the Baystars don’t have a great record, having won only 3 Central League pennants and 2 Japan Series Championships. However, they can boast recent success. In 2017 they had a 73-65 win-loss record and earnt a Central League pennant in 2017.

Yokohama Baystars Schedule

The Yokohama Bay Stars game schedule can be found at this link for the full calendar of home and away matches. One month of matches is shown on the schedule, so just click on the month you want to look at.

Yokohama DeNA Baystars Home Ground

The Yokohama DeNA Baystars home ground is Yokohama Stadium. It opened in 1978, and is used for baseball, American football and live events. The stadium has a capacity of around 30 000 people. The stadium is in a great location next to Yokohama Chinatown as well as being near lots of other attractions. It is in Yokohama Park, it’s about 1km from Yamashita Park and is also close to Minato Mirai 21, the seaside CBD of Yokohama. At the stadium, you can also get quality craft beer, quality food and a great atmosphere and entertainment.

How to Get to Yokohama Stadium

The easiest way to get to Yokohama Stadium from Tokyo is to catch a train on the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and get off at Kannai Station, which is located beside Yokohama Station. The stadium is about a 2-minute walk from the station’s south exit. The total journey time is about 50 minutes from Tokyo Station.

Yokohama Baystars Tickets to see Baseball near Tokyo

It’s easy to purchase tickets from the ticket office at Yokohama Station for most matches as they don’t normally draw high crowds. An online booking option is to book through the Baystars ticket site, but the ticket booking process is in Japanese.

Chiba Lotte Marines

The Chiba Lotte Marines (website in Japanese) play in the Pacific League. They have won 5 Pacific League Pennants and 4 Japan Series Championships (most recently in 2010).

Chiba Lotte Marines Schedule

The Chiba Lotte Marines game schedule can be found at this link for the full calendar of home and away matches. One month of matches is shown on the schedule, so just click on the month you want to look at.

Chiba Lotte Marines Home Ground

The Chiba Lotte Marines home ground is Chiba Marine Stadium (also known as ZOZO Marine Stadium). The stadium opened in 1990 and has a capacity of around 30 000 people. Chiba Marine Stadium is located on Tokyo Bay. Makuhari Beach and Makuhari Seaside Park are located close to the stadium. There are also other attractions, such as Mihama-En Japanese Garden in the Makuhari area.

How to Get to Chiba Marine Stadium

The most convenient way to get from Tokyo to Chiba Marine Stadium is to catch a train on the Keiyo line to Kaihimmakuhari Station. From Tokyo Station, the train trip takes about 46 minutes. The stadium is about a 1km walk from the station.

Chiba Lotte Marines Tickets to see Baseball near Tokyo

Tickets to a game can be purchased at Chiba Marine Stadium. If you want to book your tickets online in advance of the game, the Chiba Marines have a ticket site, but it is in Japanese.

Saitama Seibu Lions

The Saitama Seibu Lions play in the Pacific League. They are historically the most successful team in the Pacific League, having won 21 Pacific League Pennants and 12 Japan Series Championships.

Saitama Seibu Lions Schedule

The Saitama Lions schedule game schedule can be found at this link for the full calendar of home and away matches. One month of matches is shown on the schedule, so just click on the month you want to look at.

Saitama Seibu Lions Home Ground

The Saitama Lions home ground is the MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama. It is an indoor stadium built in 1979 with a capacity of around 34 000 people. It was originally an open-air stadium, with the roof being fitted later. There is a large gap between the roof and the stadium’s walls, making it possible for batters to score an outside-the-park home run in an otherwise indoor stadium.

How to Get to MetLife Dome

The easiest way to get from Tokyo to MetLife Dome is to use the Yamanote Line or Marunouchi Line to Ikebukuro Station. Then transfer to the Seibu-Ikebukuro line and catch a train to Nishi-Tokorozawa Station. After that, transfer to the Seibu-Sayama line and catch a train to Seibukyujo-Mae Station. MetLife Dome is about a 5-minute walk from the station. From Tokyo Station, this journey takes about 1 hour to 1hr10 minutes.

Saitama Seibu Lions Tickets to see Baseball near Tokyo

Tickets to a game can be purchased at MetLife Dome. If you want to book your tickets online in advance of the game, the Seibu Lions have a ticket site, but it is in Japanese.

Recommended options to purchase your Japan Baseball tickets include:

  • Click here to book Japan Baseball tickets through a Personal Shopper for Japan on Fiverr. Our recommended shoppers include Sean and Yuco, and there are also other personal shoppers on Fiverr you can choose from. Each shopper only has limited purchasing capacity each week, so ensure you book early to get your preferred option.
  • Click here to book Baseball reseller tickets through viaGoGo

Wrap Up

We really enjoyed seeing a Japanese baseball match in a full stadium when we visited. We also went to see the Sumo Wrestling while we were in Japan.  We have written a similar guide on How to buy your Sumo Wrestling tickets online to help you book in to participate in another amazing Japanese cultural experience.

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28 thoughts on “How to Buy Tokyo Baseball Tickets Including Yomiuri Giants Tickets”

  1. Hey Anne,

    Great to see your Japan trip planning is coming along well. Seeing the Yomiuri Giants will be awesome fun.

    I haven’t purchased tickets for baseball in Tokyo but I did get Sumo tickets in advance when I visited a few years back. We were lucky enough to be visiting during the Grand Championships and luckily I’d done my research put my name of a waitlist for when the tickets went on sale. We ended up with fab seats and really enjoyed our experience.

    This post is so informative and will be so handy for anyone looking to score themselves tickets.

    • Jen, thank you for your comment. We are really looking forward to seeing the craziness of a Japanese baseball game! I have the date the sumo tickets go on sale (which is this week) so hopefully we can get some good seats at a reasonable price.

  2. You’re going to love the match guys and I’m so excited that you’re buying tickets for the sumo wrestling. It was one of my top experiences in Japan. They give you headphones and a radio to listen to commentary in English which really adds to the experience 🙂

  3. This is REALLY great information! We didn’t end up going to a game in Tokyo – saw a game in Osaka instead – but it was tricky finding information and we ended up going to the stadium to buy our tickets. It would’ve been much more difficult to do so in Tokyo and this online info helps lots!

    • Carolann and Macrae, thank you for your comment. I also found it difficult to work out how to book tickets so I did a deeper investigation and finally found this option, so hopefully this article can help others to make their bookings more easily.

  4. A baseball game in Tokyo sounds like an absolute blast! I’ll look forward to hearing about the game you attended. I couldn’t agree more, going to sporting events is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the culture. Very through article, I’ll be sure to use this as a guide if I have an opportunity to visit Tokyo!

  5. Awesome that it came in under budget! That’s a definite score. I hadn’t previously thought of Japan as a destination for baseball, though am definitely going to look into it now for our upcoming trip. I’ve never been an avid follower of any one sport, though as you mentioned, I do agree with you that witnessing a sporting event is one of the best ways to see the culture of your destination at it’s finest.

    And the atmosphere is always so fab!! Thanks for the great advice 🙂

  6. I know that when we do travel to Japan, that Justin would LOVE to attend a baseball game there…he’s really big into watching and playing baseball. So these are really helpful tips that I’ll have to remember for when that day comes!

  7. I would love to go to a Baseball game in Tokyo! I lived there for 3 months, many years ago, but it never occured to me to go to any sporting events. My husband and I are considering a trip to Tokyo since we’ve both been there but never together. I’m going to keep an eye on this as we’re nailiing down our plans. My husband went to a game when he was there on business and he said it was incredible so I’m looking forward to it!

    • Mia, thank you for your comment. When my husband and I heard that the Japanese people are crazy about baseball we decided that it would be great to see a match during our upcoming visit – it is a great way to really see the culture of a place! I hope you have the opportunity to go to a game next time you visit Tokyo!

  8. I’ve been to Tokyo twice but never to a sporting event there. Sumo Wrestling seemed like the best choice until I read your post. Great idea to attend a baseball game given how much the Japanese are into it. I hope you have an incredible trip.

    • Elaine, thank you for your comment. We are going to the sumo wrestling too – when I was panning our trip itinerary I researched when both events were on so that I could plan our time in Tokyo to attend both events. We are really looking forward to our trip, it is not long to go now!

  9. We saw the Tokyo Giants vs Hiroshimi Carp at Tokyo Dome in June. To be honest, most of the experience for us was watching the crowd and all the stadium action, rather than the game itself (which was an extremely low-scoring one). And while the stadium is relatively small we didn’t feel at all close to the action in our seats which were up high (Block E22). The seating is mostly on two sides of the field, so that the seating on those two sides seemed equivalent to a much bigger stadium which would have seating right around the field. However, it didn’t matter for us – just the atmosphere and noise and drama was enough! There’s a whole complex of entertainment options around the stadium itself too – rollercoasters etc.

    • Fairlie, thank you for your comment. It is great to hear what your experience was like – we are also booked for seats which are up in the higher sections so I expect we will have a similar experience. I am really looking froward to seeing the local crowd in action!

  10. Hi there- We’re about to purchase tickets for a Giants/Tigers game and will have our 23mo old son with us- any idea if we need to get him his own ticket since he’s under 2? I can’t find any information about age cut-offs. Obviously we’d hold him on our lap and not expect a seat if we don’t buy him one. Thanks!

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