Whilst football teams usually only play once or twice a week, it’s very different in baseball where the sides are in action for five or six days meaning that for the real hardcore supporters ten games can be racked up in about a fortnight. I am not really a baseball fan though so a few games each year is usually more than enough for me.

When I went to my first game of 2026 in early March I did not think for a moment that I’d ever go to ten games. However, that is what happened and I even managed to visit 50% of the country’s primary stadiums too. Consequently, I have ranked them with the actual match action playing a very minimal part!!

10. Yomiuri Giants 11-5 Hiroshima Carp @ Tokyo Dome, Bunkyo-ku (Tokyo), Tuesday 21st July (18:00)

By the time I arrived in the second innings it was already about 5-0 to the Giants and it got worse as they went 11-0 up before my Carp boys got a few consolation runs late on to make it look a bit closer than it really was.

Weather: Sunny, Price: 2,200-yen, Attendance: 42,006

9. Seibu Lions 2-5 Softbank Hawks @ Belluna Dome, Tokorozawa (Saitama-ken), Friday 7th August (18:00)

There are only 12 professional baseball teams in Japan, and despite going to a fair few games over the years, there are still some teams I’ve just never seen. This was my first time to see Pacific League leaders Fukuoka Hawks but I’m not sure if that was my reason for going to this one. It was quite a late decision, and I think I was just in the mood to see some live sport action the night before my birthday with this being the easiest and most convenient.

Weather: Hot, Price: 3,000-yen, Attendance: 27,219

8. Yakult Swallows 1-2 Hiroshima Carp @ Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium, Shinjuku-ku (Tokyo), Sunday 21st June (13:30)

Low scoring, tight seats, sunny weather, my most expensive ticket of the year and all taking place at the same time as Japan were playing in the FIFA World Cup! Still, I got to spend an afternoon with my friend James watching our respective teams so it wasn’t all bad.

Weather: Sunny, Price: 4,400-yen, Attendance: 27,159

7. Seibu Lions 2-6 Chiba Lotte Marines @ Belluna Dome, Tokorozawa (Saitama-ken), Friday 25th September (18:00)

A cheap ticket was bought online so I hadn’t really taken much note of my location in the stadium. As it was, I was with the real proper away fans in the area where they stand up, sing and cheer when in bat. It was actually really good fun and did liven up the match for me.

Weather: Cloudy, Price: 1,000-yen, Attendance: 27,587.

6. Hiroshima Carp 7-3 Chunichi Dragons @ Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium Hiroshima, Minami-ku, Hiroshima (Hiroshima-ken), Friday 1st May (18:00)

Whenever I’m in Hiroshima, I usually try and pop along to watch Carp. For the second year running it was in May in the Golden Week holiday. It was an entertaining 7-3 win for the home team in a game that lasted just shy of four hours! I arrived fashionably late and left a bit early too which helped me avoid quite a few home runs!! More details here.

Weather: Sunny, Price: 1,900-yen, Attendance: 28,127.

5. Seibu Lions 2-11 Nippon Ham Fighters @ Belluna Dome, Tokorozawa (Saitama-ken), Thursday 23rd July (18:00)

My first time back at this place for two years and I’d forgotten what it was like to be there in summer as the stadium, with a roof and open-air sides, is like an oven at that time of year! I have nothing against the Lions but always seem to be supporting their opponents when they play, and the Hokkaido-based team were on fire on this particular evening.

Weather: Hot, Price: 2,000-yen, Attendance: 27,020

4. Seibu Lions 1-5 Chiba Lotte Marines @ Belluna Dome, Tokorozawa (Saitama-ken), Saturday 15th August (17:00)

Certainly not the greatest game but the inevitable conclusion to my self-created #LionDay meant I was buzzing (or should that be roaring?!) due to all that extra stuff completely unrelated to baseball! More details here.

Weather: Cloudy, Price: 3,400-yen, Attendance: 26,241.

3. Australia 5-1 Czechia @ Tokyo Dome, Bunkyo-ku (Tokyo), Friday 5th March (12:00)

This was my first baseball game of 2026 and a great afternoon out as I dressed up in stereotypical Aussie fashion for one of the limited World Baseball Classic matches taking place in Japan. Unlike the Japan games, this one offered the chance of experiencing the WBC at a heavily reduced price. Perhaps most importantly it allowed some bragging to my students about having a ticket for the WBC before then hilariously revealing it was for one of the lesser games! More details here.

Weather: Cloudy, Price: 2,000-yen, Attendance: 21,514.

2. Yokohama Baystars 12-4 Yakult Swallows @ Yokohama Stadium, Naka-ku, Yokohama (Kanagawa-ken), Friday 17th July (18:00)

James was too sick to join Shinobu and I at the WBC match but for this one it was the three of us. We all went to a DeNA versus Swallows game last year but this was probably the last time as it was James’ final appearance before moving away from Tokyo. Being together as a trio again was great and the on-field action was also pretty good with plenty of home runs.

Weather: Cloudy, Price: 2,000-yen, Attendance: 31,748

1. Chiba Lotte Marines 3-1 Chunichi Dragons @ ZOZO Marines Stadium, Mihama-ku (Chiba-ken), Tuesday 9th June (18:00)

No surprise that this was my favourite baseball outing of the year and naturally it had absolutely nothing to do with the sport! Marines had a Star Wars Day last year which I didn’t go to but this time I wouldn’t be denied and I loved all the extra details in and around the match that related to the galaxy far, far away. More details here.

Weather: Cloudy, Price: 4,100-yen, Attendance: 25,172.

I’m not sure if it’ll happen but I am actually quite keen to do ALL 12 pro-baseball stadiums in Japan one year. Due to the large number of games each week, it is probably possible to tick off the teams in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe and Osaka in a one-week trip and then add the others more casually. A few sizable trips to Nagoya, Sendai and Sapporo would still be needed so it’s not an easy challenge and would cost a fair amount too. If that doesn’t happen in 2027 then a compilation post like this next year is unlikely but who knows!

Click here to read ‘How Many Different Sports Did I Manage to Go & Watch Live In 2025?’

Click here to read ‘Watching My Baseball Team at Home for the First Time In 9 Years!’

Click here to read ‘Jumping on the Baseball Bandwagon in Japan (& Then Jumping Right Off It Again!)’

Click here to read ‘This Shrine Is a Big Hit with Baseball Fans’