Sopporo Dome to Host Rugby Work Cup Matches

The amazing Sapporo Dome on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is hosting two Rugby World Cup matches – Australia v Fiji on Saturday 21 September and England v Tonga the following day.  Read more here.

New Ballpark in Japan Will Bring Viewing from Natural Hot Spring

Fans will be able to root for the Nippon-Ham Fighters (Nippon Professional Baseball) from the comfort of soaking in a natural hot spring up to their necks when its new stadium opens in March 2023.  Read more here.

‘Ham Fighters Getting New Ballpark

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (Nippon Professional Baseball) announced Monday a basic design for their new ballpark to be completed in the spring of 2023 as Japan’s second with a retractable roof.  Read more here.

Fighters Choose Kitahiroshima for New Ballpark

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (Pacific League, Nippon Professional Baseball) will build their proposed new stadium in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido.  The ballclub, based in the capital of Japan’s northernmost main island, has played at Sapporo Dome since 2004.  Read more here.

Spring Training, Okinawa Style

Compared to that of Major League Baseball, spring training in Japan comes a bit earlier and with a lot of hype on Okinawa.  Last week, all 12 Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) teams began spring training, with all players reporting to the teams.  Read more here.

Preparing for Baseball’s Possible Return to Olympics in 2020

The World Baseball Softball Confederation will reportedly conduct an inspection next week of  Yokohama Stadium as a possible venue for Olympic baseball and softball at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.  The venue is home of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (Nippon Professional Baseball).  Read more and view photos here.

Japan Baseball: Beer Gals, Organized Cheering and Squid

Like America, Japan loves baseball, maybe even a little bit more than the country that invented it.  And while the game is played the same way, much else about Japanese baseball is incredibly different.  Read more here.

NPB’s Fighters Explore Building New Ballpark

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are reportedly considering building a new ballpark in Sapporo or its vicinity.  The team currently plays at the Sapporo Dome on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan.  Read more here.

Yokohama Stadium Could Host Olympic Baseball

Yokohama Stadium in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, has become a top candidate to host baseball in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, an official source said Monday.  Baseball and softball, which have not been played at the Olympics since 2008, are among the sports that 2020 organizers have nominated for the Tokyo Games in addition to the core Olympic program.  Yokohama Stadium is the home of Nippon Professional Baseball’s DeNA BayStars.  Read more here.

Nippon’s BayStars Acquire Stadium Operator

The DeNA BayStars (Nippon Professional Baseball) will make the operator of Yokohama Stadium its consolidated subsidiary, the Central League team announced Thursday following the completion of the takeover bid a day earlier.  Read more here.

Ranking the Ballparks of Japanese/Nippon League Baseball

This is a few years old, but Asia-based Sean MacDonald from SportsRoadTrips.com visited and ranked the twelve stadiums that are considered regular home ballparks for the teams in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).  Read reviews and view photo galleries here.

Japan Looking to More Professional Baseball to Stimulate Economy?

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling party are apparently open-minded about how to revive Japan’s economy. Sportswriter Seijun Ninomiya told Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers Friday that adding four more teams to Japan’s current 12 could reinvigorate regional economies and keep more Japanese players from signing with U.S. teams.  Read more here.

A Taste of Japanese Ballpark Food

Stephanie Butler from the History Channels’ online “Hungry History” feature takes a look at the unique food items available at professional Japanese ballparks.  Read more and view photo here.

Stricter Rules on Deck in Japan to Impede Talent Drain to U.S.

We don’t typically talk about player issues here, but any proposal that could keep foreign players from coming to the U.S. to play baseball is worth a note.  To keep talented players at home, Japanese baseball officials are considering stricter rules for amateur players who bypass the country’s professional leagues to play in Major League Baseball.  Read more here.

Experiencing Professional Baseball in Japan

Dan Fellner, Special for The Arizona Republic newspaper, recently visited Japan to watch theYomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers at the Tokyo Dome.  He likened the experience to a college football game.  Read more here.  View photo gallery here.

Opening Day in Japan

Despite the mega earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, the professional baseball season kicked off on Tuesday, as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Chiba Lotte Marines 6-4 in front of 22,525 fans at QVC Marine Stadium in Chiba.  Read more here.

One-Half of Japan’s Professional Baseball Teams to Start Season on Time

The monster earthquake/tsunami that rocked Japan will apparently not keep Japan’s pastime down.  Despite reported opposition from the players’ union, the Nippon Professional Baseball‘s Central League, with relatively unscathed markets, will start the season on time on March 25, while the Pacific League, with harder hit markets, will delay its opening day until April 12.  Read more and view photo of hard hit stadium here.