| One of the most popular sports in Japan, | | | | Dome Chunichi Dragons Ballpark: Nagoya Dome |
| baseball, is about to start its new season | | | | Yokohama Bay Stars Ballpark: Yokohama Stadium |
| soon and is well worth catching a view of | | | | Yakult Swallows Ballpark: Gingu Stadium Tokyo |
| even if you are not an avid fan. Japan's | | | | Hiroshima Toyo Carp Ballpark: Hiroshima |
| professional baseball season is from April to | | | | Shimin Stadium Hanshin Tigers Ballpark: |
| October. There are two leagues in Japanese | | | | Hanshin Koshien Stadium Pacific League |
| professional baseball: the Central League and | | | | Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks Ballpark: Fukuoka |
| the Pacific League. There are six teams in | | | | Yahoo Dome Seibu Lions Ballpark: Seibu Dome |
| each league. The winners from both leagues | | | | Golden Eagles Ballpark: Full Cast Stadium |
| meet in the Japan Series in October. In July, | | | | Miyagi (Sendai) Chiba Lotte Marines Ballpark: |
| two or three All-Star games are held by best | | | | Chiba Marine Stadium Orix Buffaloes Ballpark: |
| players from two leagues. Also, exchange | | | | Osaka Dome Baseball was introduced to Japan |
| games between two leagues called koryu-jiai | | | | in 1872 by Horace Wilson, and the first |
| are planned every year. This has been the | | | | formal team was established in 1878, and it |
| main event where some or most of the Japanese | | | | has been a popular sport since. It is called |
| community become one, They unite or sometimes | | | | ?? (????; yakyu) in Japanese, combining the |
| bet on either teams, however this is the | | | | characters for field and ball. It is played |
| instance where all Japanese people gather in | | | | at all age levels but most widely in junior |
| one place and together cheer for their | | | | high schools and senior high schools. In |
| favors. This game has always been compared to | | | | March and August, two tournaments are held in |
| other games that exists in the country but | | | | Koshien Stadium for senior high school teams |
| still, statistics showed an unfavorable | | | | that win a prefectural tournament. The |
| result. Also to other countries this is being | | | | highest level of competition is Nippon |
| mostly compared. It's going to be so much fun | | | | Professional Baseball, started in 1920. It is |
| to see popular baseball teams and players. If | | | | called Puro Yakyu (????), meaning |
| you are living in Japan or visiting Japan, | | | | Professional Baseball. In 2005 the Japan |
| plan to go watch a baseball game near you. | | | | Samurai Bears began play in the Golden |
| You can contact each team's ballpark. Here | | | | Baseball League, becoming the first Japanese |
| are the details of the main teams/stadiums: | | | | team in an American professional baseball |
| Central League Yomiuri Giants Ballpark: Tokyo | | | | league. |