If you were traveling to Japan, what would be on your list of things to experience? Today I would like to recommend adding a live baseball game at Tokyo Dome to that list as it is truly an unforgettable experience. Japan has over 80 years of professional baseball history and can boast a high level of ability, as the representative teams of Japan have won two consecutive World Baseball Classic tournaments.

Not only will you get the opportunity to watch a baseball game in Tokyo Dome, but they also have many other attractions to enjoy such as an amusement park, shopping, and an onsen all in one place. Find out how you can get tickets to explore and make the most of this amazing Tokyo hot spot!

Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Yomiuri Giants

Tokyo Dome is the symbol of Tokyo and the home to the famous professional baseball team, Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. It is easily accessible on a 30-minute train ride from the popular Shinjuku or Shibuya train stations. What is also pleasantly surprising about Tokyo Dome is that the air conditioning is always on which makes for a nice atmosphere to enjoy the game. Also, that way you don’t have to worry about a game being canceled due to bad weather, which makes it even easier to schedule one into your travel plans!

The Giants have the longest history out of all of Japan’s professional baseball teams with former Giant, Sadaharu Oh, still holding the world record with his total of 868 home runs. This has made them a team endowed with strength and popularity throughout Japan.

Specialty Food and Goods and Food

To really enjoy the game like a true local fan, be sure to check out all of the following goodies before the game starts!

Towels and Jerseys With Your Favorite Player’s Name and Number

Here you will find your favorite player’s number on various goods like towels and of course, jerseys which you can wear during the game to show how passionate you are about supporting your favorite player. Also, as the towels have the players’ names written in Kanji, they are very popular among tourists as they look authentically Japanese!

Cheer Sticks

There are many kinds of cheer sticks available which come in different designs, shapes and sizes. So, to really make the most of your live baseball experience, make sure you buy some cheer sticks and join in alongside the chanting and cheering of local fans. Cheer your team on and make some noise!

Dome Melon-pan Sandwich

The famous Dome Melon-pan Sandwich is a Tokyo Dome specialty as the shape of the melon-pan resembles that of the Dome! Melon-pan or melon bread, is a variety of sweet bun that has a delicious thin crust of cookie on top and has the appearance of a melon. The melon-pan here is converted into a bun and filled with a delicious pork rib with a drizzle of honey mustard sauce. Although it seemed like a surprising combination at first, it has easily become one of my favorite foods in Japan so far after that first bite – it was so flavorsome!

Player-Recommended Lunch Boxes!

These nourishing lunch boxes have been recommended specifically by each player, so perhaps after devouring your preferred lunch box you may end up with the same energy levels as them for the rest of the day.

In addition, if you choose the Giabbit lunch box (bento), which is very popular among kids, you will also receive an original Giants pouch for free!

Ice Cream in Giants Batting Helmet Cups and Popcorn

A Giants cup with delicious ice cream? Yes, please! Undoubtedly, I bet many people purchase it straight away without even thinking as it’s both unique and delicious. On top of that, there is also popcorn that’s served inside a cute helmet-shaped lid. Also, after finishing off your ice cream and popcorn, you can keep the cups as souvenirs!

Baseball-shaped Shumai

Yes, that’s right! You can even enjoy Chinese food at Tokyo Dome! These aren’t just standard shumai either, they’ve been cleverly crafted into cute baseball shapes. So they aren’t only easy to carry around and eat, they’re unique and tasty too! So who could resist all this delicious food?

Alcoholic beverages

There are also bars available that offer a diverse range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for you to enjoy while watching the game. Also, beer and ‘highballs’ are the most popular beverages among fans at Tokyo Dome.

Live game thrill and excitement

Once you’ve gathered all your goodies, it’s finally time to watch and enjoy the game! At this particular game, a unique “Orange Afro” event was held, where all Giants fans wore orange afro wigs to support the team. Everyone had fun taking photos too! The atmosphere at a live game is completely different to watching it on TV as it made me nervous hearing the sound of players hitting the ball and anticipating the umpire’s decisions. I could also sense the tension from the players and their passionate fans as they concentrated closely on all the action on the field. In addition, I also noticed these 3 interesting aspects of the entire baseball experience which are very unique to Japan!

1: Cute girls serving drinks

If you’re late to buy drinks, don’t fancy queueing, or get thirsty during the game there is no need to worry as there will always be cute girls serving drinks around you from the beginning of the game to the end. What a bonus!

2: Well mannered fans

This was the biggest surprise. The fans of both teams were respectful throughout the entire game, as they each took turns at cheering on their respective teams. So when it was time for the rival team’s fans to cheer, the home fans were quiet, and vice versa. They never once fought with each other – even when the opposing team scored! This was a great example of how the Japanese culture and their manners carry over even into competitive sports.

3: The clean environment

Upon entering Tokyo Dome, I noticed just how clean everything was and what was even more surprising is that not much had changed after the game either. Even though everyone enjoyed plenty of food and drinks throughout the game, the stadium was left surprisingly clean. Everyone seemed to obey the rules and no trash was left behind, which I felt was a great example of how respectful the Japanese are about the environment around them.

How to buy tickets

So, would you like to experience a baseball game at Tokyo Dome as well? On the Giants’ website, the game schedule and all sorts of other information is available. You can even purchase tickets from overseas on this website. If you do buy tickets online, you can quickly confirm your purchase by printing it out at home. In addition, you can purchase the tickets 2 to 3 months in advance as tickets on the day of the game often sell out quickly, so I would recommend buying tickets as soon as possible. As you may have guessed, Giants baseball games sell out faster than you think!

Watching a live baseball game in Japan is certainly a unique and exciting experience. Not only is it enjoyable, but you will also learn a lot about Japanese people and their culture. Watching a live baseball game is definitely a great experience to enjoy with your friends and family on your visit to Tokyo!

Related articles

・100 Things to Do in Shibuya, Tokyo’s Fashionable Metropolis, in 2018

・98 Things to Do in Shinjuku, the Party District of Tokyo, in 2018!