For years I have been following Japanese baseball and except for 2022, my favorite team, the Orix Buffaloes, never could make a name for themselves. Nevertheless, it was always a dream to see them play. That dream came true yesterday.
For a long time I tried to get tickets through the internet but through Japanese club websites it proved to be impossible. Eventually my wife came up with a website name ticketsinjapan.com. And through that website I managed to get two tickets for ¥.22,000 (€118,65).
After we arrived in Osaka yesterday around noon, we had a quick lunch and then moved to the Kyocera Dome. It was a bit hard to find the right subway line as the name on google maps did not match the one on the signs, but eventually with some help of the subway personnel, we found the right subway line.
From subway station Dome-Mae Station it was only a five-minute walk to the home of the Buffaloes.
Since the ticket windows didn’t open any sooner than 16:00 (4:00 PM) Japanese time, I had to stand in line for 20 minutes. But luckily I got into a conversation with a security guard who spoke English surprisingly well. I was wearing a promotional t-shirt of this blog that drew his attention. Time flew, and before I knew it I had my tickets.
Since the gates opened about half an hout later, I had time to visit the fan shop. Of course I had to add an on-field Orix Buffaloes cap to my collection. Getting the cap was easy, but getting a baseball jersey wasn’t. I wanted an on-field jersey, but they did not have it in my size, so I decided to get a replica.
When we entered our section in the ballpark,I was all in awe. Never had I seen a domed stadium like this. At the time we arrived, it was still rather empty but shortly after the game had started, it filled up quickly and one could say there was a good crowd.
The seats could be worse. I sat a bit left of home plate about 30 meters behind the back stop.
The cool part about Japanese baseball is the atmosphere. Both the home team and the visiting team have cheer sections where the hardcore fans are singing, chanting, and supporting their teams. Every time their team is at bat, they start playing trumpets, hitting drums, and start to sing, contributing to a festive atmosphere as you can see below (sorry for the shaky footage).
In the first five innings of the game, nothing much happened. Both starting pitchers kept the opposing line-up in check. Only the Buffaloes managed to score in the bottom of the second inning.
In the sixth inning, the Swallows tied the game and one inning later, they took a 3-1 lead. Starting the ninth, things looked gloomy for the Buffaloes but they managed to turn the game around and clinch a walk-off win, beating the Swallows 4-3.
No matter the result, which was good for the Buffaloes and for me, the experience was absolutely fantastic. I won’t say this game was the highlight of my Japan trip, but for sure it is something I will never forget.
Here are some photos of yesterday’s game.
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