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|
FRIDAY - September 5, 2008 |
| Game at
Swallows. Stay in Tokyo.
|
|
(Tokyo Yakult Swallows vs Tokyo
Yomiuri Giants at Jingu Stadium)
|
|
We make a day
of Tokyo sightseeing with a variety of options from which to
choose. Or, if you have something in particular you wish to do or see, we
make arrangements for you or show you how to do it.
|
| At
6:20pm we'll take in a cross-town rivalry: the Giants at the
Swallows.
|
| The Swallow's Jingu
Stadium is set
in the Meiji Shrine's Outer Garden and many find this unpretentious gem to
be the best place in Tokyo to see a game.
|
| Opened in 1926,
Jingu Stadium is Tokyo's oldest ballpark still in use. The old brickwork
evokes images of Ebbets Field and, unless you look closely through the
tree-lined sidewalks, you might fail to notice there's a stadium in the
neighborhood. This is a place you can go, close your eyes, and imagine how
baseball was years ago.
|
| Some
say the Jingu scoreboard is the best in Japan, if for no other reason than it
alone posts each player's batting average and home run total for the duration of
every game. It gives you what's important without relying on a lot of
technological gimmicks - part of the quiet appeal of Jingu Stadium.
|
|
The ballpark is in the
center of a national sports complex that contains a rugby field, soccer stadium
and tennis courts.
|
|
| SATURDAY - September
6, 2008 |
| Tokyo
to Kyoto via Nagoya. Game at Dragons. Stay in Kyoto. |
|
(Chunichi Dragons vs Yokohama
BayStars at Nagoya Dome)
|
| This morning we make our way to Tokyo Station and board the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train for a trip
south
to Nagoya where we take in a 6:00pm game
with the Chunichi Dragons. |
| We'll
stop in Kyoto before the game, check into the hotel, drop our luggage and then
make our short way to the Nagoya Dome. |
| The
Chunichi Dragons, like the Chicago Cubs, are owned by the local newspaper.
They play in a dome, but it's the best dome in which I've ever been. The Dragons put on a good show and are one of the more hip ballclubs in
Japan. They keep their park sparkling and make it come alive. |
|
|
SUNDAY - September 7, 2008 |
|
Kyoto
to Osaka. Game at Buffaloes. Stay in Kyoto.
|
|
(Orix Buffaloes vs Seibu Lions at
Kyocera Dome Osaka)
|
| We'll take a 15
minute train ride from Kyoto to Osaka, Japan's Second City, to visit the Orix
Buffaloes for a 1pm afternoon match-up.
|
| Sometimes
called the Osaka Spaceship, looking like such a thing landed in town, the
Kyocera Dome Osaka was the home of the Kintetsu Buffaloes until 2005 when a
merger with the nearby Orix Blue Wave turned the club into the now Orix
Buffaloes.
|
| The
roof is fixed, but the stadium has a mechanized system that changes the seating
and configuration to suit the event taking place - football, baseball or
concerts.
|
| A large tube-like
form undulates around the perimeter of the dome. This element, called the Fiesta
Mall, gives a floating quality to the structure that is suggestive of waves or
clouds.
|
| The dome features
more than 50 restaurants, shops, bars and a theme-oriented game center. Most of
the eateries offer a birds-eye view of the field.
|
|
|
MONDAY - September 8, 2008 |
|
Baseball
Off-Day. Stay in Kyoto.
|
|
We use today's baseball off-day to explore Kyoto,
the center of Old Japan. We visit some of Kyoto’s castles, temples and
gardens.
|
|
If you could visit only one city in Japan this is
the one for its stunning architecture, beautiful scenery and citizens who still
wear traditional dress. Sightseeing is made easy by the grid pattern in which
the city was set. Kyoto, by the way, is the setting for the best-selling novel
and the film, Memoirs of a Geisha.
|
|
Kyoto is great to explore on foot so that its
sights, sounds, smells and textures can be savored. And you don’t need to walk
far to do it.
|
|
Cool green garden moss, the echo of a temple bell,
the caress of silk, and the aroma of soy, sugar and sake, all experienced on a
short walk, convey this ancient culture in a personalized manner to each
visitor. The city's sights and charms are tightly woven together in this ideal
setting.
|
|
This evening we dine at a time-honored restaurant to pause, unwind and relax
and get a chance to ponder together just how much we've seen in the past few days.
|
|
And for those who are still up for it after dinner, I'm certain we can find
plenty of nightlife.
|
|
|
|
TUESDAY - September 9, 2008 |
|
Kyoto
to Fukuoka via Hiroshima. Game at Hawks. Stay in Fukuoka.
|
|
(Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks vs
Rakuten Golden Eagles at Yahoo Dome)
|
| We'll board the bullet train to
travel to the
farthest point south on the line, to Fukuoka on Kyushu Island for a 6pm game
with the SoftBank
Hawks. |
| This
is the first trip we've been able to see the Fukuoka club where Sadaharu Oh is
the manager. Oh has the record for most home runs in professional
baseball. We have scheduled a pre-game visit
with him for our group. |
|
On our way to Fukuoka we stop in Hiroshima to visit the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park and A-Bomb Museum located at ground-zero of the first atomic bomb drop.
The
museum is first-rate and reasonably even-handed given its location and
topic.
|
| Hiroshima
Municipal Stadium, home of the Carp, is just across the street from the museum
grounds and we make a visit there before resuming our trip to Fukuoka to see the
Hawks.
|
| Playing in the Yahoo
Dome, a relatively new ballpark modeled after Toronto's SkyDome, the Hawks have a loyal following and have occasionally
rivaled the Giants for the attendance lead. |
| The Yahoo Dome offers
Japan's only removable lid, so it may well be open. The area surrounding the stadium is called
Hawk's Town and features a stunning array of restaurants, shopping and amusement
activities to enjoy before and after the game. |
|
|
|
WEDNESDAY - September 10, 2008 |
|
Fukuoka to Osaka. Game at
Tigers. Stay in Kyoto
|
|
(Hanshin Tigers vs Tokyo Yakult Swallows
at Koshien Stadium)
|
| Today
we travel back up the island returning to our Kyoto hotel.
|
| On
our way, and for those interested, we drop over to Iwakuni for a taste of small town Japan.
|
| You quickly get your arms around Iwakuni and that’s why we like
it. We explore its picturesque Kintai Bridge and environs, including a feudal
lord’s castle with an expansive territorial view. While here you can eat at what we
consider to be the best noodle shop in Japan.
|
| We also visit Miyajima, a small island in the Inland Sea, Japan’s most
beautiful body of water. Miyajima is celebrated as a sacred island and one of
Japan's three most scenic views. It is most famous for Itsukushima
Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which, together with its large wooden
torii (gate), stands in the ocean during high tide.
|
| Tonight
we
return to Osaka to see the Hanshin Tigers, who have the
most exuberant and colorful fans anywhere in Japan...maybe even the world.
Game time is 6pm.
|
| The Tigers play at
Koshien Stadium. Built in 1924, it's Japan's oldest,
most traditional and most revered ballpark. Taking it a bit far, some call it
Sacred Koshien Stadium.
But it does, in fact, have a shrine just outside where offerings are made for
the team. Seriously.
|
| Originally built for the national high
school baseball tournament, Koshien is still used for that purpose. It seats
55,000, has a grass outfield, a dirt infield and ivy covered walls. A
classic ballpark that in 1934 hosted Babe Ruth and other MLB All-Stars touring
Japan.
|
| Koshien Stadium
is Japan's Fenway Park. The Tokyo Dome is, I suppose, its Yankee
Stadium. |
|
|
THURSDAY - September 11, 2008 |
|
Main Tour to Tokyo to Home Cities |
| Main
Tour travels to the airport for afternoon flights out of Tokyo.
You arrive
home the same date, getting back the day we lost when we crossed the
International Dateline on our trip over.
|
|
Hot Springs Option to
Mountains
|
| Hot
Springs Option travels to the Hakone mountainside near Mt. Fuji to tour, enjoy the
natural hot springs (separated by gender), have a dinner banquet, and
overnight in traditional Japanese rooms. A buffet breakfast is also
included.
|
| A
past participant says, "Do this. It
gives you a completely different experience of Japan.
It's worth it for the dinner alone, but going on the Hakone Ropeway,
through the Owakudani Boiling Valley and across Lake Ashi will be a very
memorable part of your trip.” |
|
See It All Option in Hiroshima to
see Carp
|
|
See It All Option
hops aboard the Hikari Super Express
from Kyoto Station bound for
Hiroshima.
|
|
Once in Hiroshima you can make your way by
boat to Miyajima, an island just south of and off the coast of Hiroshima.
An island reputed to be one of the three loveliest spots in Japan.
|
| You return
to Hiroshima
Municipal Stadium, home of the Carp, just across the street from the museum
grounds that we visited earlier in the trip.
|
| One of the
smaller ballparks in Japan with a capacity of 32,000, Hiroshima Municipal offers seats that are close to the action, a
natural grass outfield, bullpens down the foul lines and a new high-tech
scoreboard. The shallow outfield fences make this a good park for fans
seeking a home run ball in this cozy old-fashioned ballpark.
|
| This stadium may
be nearing the end of the line as there is now more public discussion by the
city about building a new park in the near future. |
|
FRIDAY - September 12, 2008 |
|
Hot Springs Option to Tokyo
Narita Airport to Home
|
| We depart after another soak, if you'd like, plus a hearty
breakfast. After our stay in the country you feel relaxed and rejuvenated as you go to the airport or
embark on your extra days in Japan or elsewhere. |
| We
make our way to the airport for afternoon flights out of Tokyo. You arrive home the same
date, getting back the day we lost when we crossed the International Dateline on
our trip over.
|
|
See
It All Option in Tokyo to see Giants. |
|
(Tokyo Yomiuri Giants vs Tokyo
Yakult Swallows at Tokyo Dome) |
|
This morning travel from Hiroshima
back into Tokyo where you stay for a few days. You return to the
hotel you stayed at during your first two nights in Japan.
|
| After
having the afternoon to unwind, you go in the late afternoon to the raucous Tokyo
Dome to see the Tokyo Giants, Japan's favorite team...and just blocks away from
the hotel. The
team operates a shopping mall, restaurant center and amusement park outside the
dome.
|
| The Japan
Baseball Hall of Fame is also outside along the perimeter of the building along
with a terrific souvenir store next to it. There's a spectacular “you gotta see
it to believe it” eight-story off-track horse racing parlor adjacent.
|
| As for the Hall
of Fame, it's a long way from the charm of Cooperstown, but for the price of a
hamburger, it may be worth a look. Team uniforms, pictures, cards and
other memorabilia fill a long procession of glass cases, while one room contains
plaques of all HOF members.
|
|
On premises is
the Baseball Cafe that boasts a huge caricature statue of Tommy Lasorda that
greets you as you enter. It's sort of a baseball Hard Rock
Cafe and, while they don't serve Dodger Dogs, you can order burgers and other
typical American fare at reasonable prices.
|
|
SATURDAY - September 13, 2008 |
|
See
It All Option in Tokyo to see BayStars |
|
(Yokohama Bay Stars vs Chunichi Dragons at
Yokohama Stadium)
|
| You have a
portion of the day to explore Tokyo before making your way to Yokohama, a 40
minute train ride away. |
| Playing in Yokohama Stadium since 1978, the
BayStars ballpark lies in one of the best locations in Japan, a few blocks from
Chinatown and the waterfront. It's set in the midst of a
small park just a long block from the train station. There's
plenty to see, do and eat within walking distance in almost every direction from
the stadium. This ballpark is high on my list. |
| The ballpark has undergone a bit of a
facelift with lots of bright colors and upgraded concession stands and kiosks
throughout the concourse. The high outfield walls may
cut down on the number of home runs, but the steep seating puts fans right on
top of the action. |
|
SUNDAY - September 14, 2008 |
|
See
It All Option in Tokyo to see Marines. |
|
(Chiba Lotte
Marines vs Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Chiba Marine Stadium)
|
|
Today's game is in East Tokyo where
you see
manager Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines.
|
|
The Marines play in Chiba Marine Stadium in Makuhari City, one of the largest
urban development projects in Japan, located halfway between central Tokyo and
Narita Airport. There is a huge
convention center, new high-tech buildings, luxury class hotels and the
ballpark.
|
|
The ballpark is reminiscent of the round multi-purpose stadiums of Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh of the '70's.
They've done some nice upgrades to the ballpark including a wonderful museum,
gift shop and photo studio in which you can pose for free and take your own
pictures in replicas of the locker room, bullpen, outfield and more.
|
|
It may be the Marines, but it's Bobby Valentine's show and he's everywhere.
One minute he's on top of the dugout signing autographs at the
"Marine Sign Zone," the next minute he's hitting grounders to his
infield just before the game.
|
|
And one day he donned a fake nose and glasses after being thrown out of a
game and returned to the dugout wearing the getup fooling nobody in
the crowd.
|
|
MONDAY - September 15, 2008 |
|
See
It All Option in Sapporo to see Fighters. |
|
(Nippon Ham
Fighters vs Orix Buffaloes at Sapporo Dome)
|
| This
morning you make your easy way
to the downtown Tokyo airport for your short flight to the most northern point
you go, Sapporo on Hokkaido Island.
|
| Upon arrival in
Sapporo you take an express train ride into town, check into your hotel, and
taxi to the Sapporo Dome. |
| The stadium is remarkable in that it features
the ability to move a soccer field in and the baseball field out, and vice
versa. From the dome’s 160-foot high observation deck, one can see not
only the layout of Sapporo, but Ishikari Bay as well. |
| The nickname of
the Nippon Ham Fighters is Fighters, not Ham Fighters. Nippon Ham is the
owner of the team. As a New York Times article notes, "It's simply a
bit of misfortune that the organization's full name suggests lunch-meat
gladiators." |
|
TUESDAY - September 16, 2008 |
|
See
It All Option in Sendai to see Eagles. |
|
(Rakuten Golden
Eagles vs Nippon Ham
Fighters at Kleenex Miyagi Stadium)
|
|
This morning you make the short
flight from Sapporo to Sendai to see Japan's most recent expansion team, the
Rakuten Golden Eagles.
|
|
Kleenex Stadium (yes, that's
the name) is simply
a delight with loads
of life about it and is a JapanBall trip favorite.
|
|
They
have a full menu of seating options from lawn seats to opulent luxury boxes, to
right-on-top-of-the-action infield seats to group picnic boxes.
It’s a small, intimate park seating just under 23,000 with its experience being one of quality, not quantity.
|
|
Like
many Japanese parks, the bullpens are set under the stands out of view of the
seating bowl. Here at Kleenex, however,
windows in the perimeter open up to allow passersby to watch the pitchers warm up.
|
|
Concession
stands are located both inside and outside the stadium, an interesting twist.
The Eagles great make use of the space outside to use as people
spaces. A wonderful, yet simple, concept that allows them to use their entire grounds
for your baseball experience.
|
|
WEDNESDAY - September 17, 2008 |
|
See It All
Option in Tokyo to see Lions
|
|
(Seibu Lions vs Golden Eagles at
Seibu Dome)
|
| You
return to Tokyo from Sendai on the morning train and have the afternoon
free before going to see the Lions.
|
|
Tonight's game at the Seibu Lions ballpark in West Tokyo. The
stadium is part of a large entertainment complex that includes an amusement
park, a golf course, two practice baseball fields and an indoor ski slope.
|
| Unlike other
Japanese ballparks, the Seibu Dome is actually an amphitheater, dug into the side
of a hill. All concession stands and rest rooms are along the
tree-ringed rim of the stadium.
|
| Slightly smaller than most ballparks,
the Seibu Dome sees more home runs than any other Pacific League park.
|
|
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, owner of the Lions, decided to put an umbrella
over the ballpark a few
years ago. With its open sides it still gives the partial feel of an outdoor stadium.
|
|
THURSDAY - September 18, 2008 |
|
Tokyo to Tokyo
Narita Airport to Home
|
| You
take your leisurely time getting to Tokyo Narita Airport today for your flight
home. You arrive home the same
date, getting back the day we lost when we crossed the International Dateline on
our trip over.
|
|
|
|
| * BECOME A MEMBER OF THE HALL OF FAME!
The JapanBall Hall of Fame Induction Committee has established
the following criteria for admission:
1. The combination and successful completion of the See
It All Option with the Main Tour in any one season, or
2. Successful completion on three separate occasions of
the Main Tour over any number of seasons.
Should you complete either of the above you will have earned
your rightful place in the JapanBall Hall of Fame, with all the rights and
privileges thereof.
Your name will be engraved and forever enshrined on your
official member plaque in the JapanBall Hall of Fame located in Roje's
Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. A duplicate plaque will also be presented to
you.
|
|
| Click Here for
PRICES AND DETAILS |
|
| Click Here for
COMMENTS FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS |
