Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and other cities, Japan
NPB tickets: games go on sale about 5 weeks ahead
Updated
On each team's official ticket site, in blocks of games. The Giants, Swallows and Hawks open sales about 4 to 6 weeks before the games, at 10:00 or 11:00 Japan time. The Hanshin Tigers put every home game at Koshien on sale at once, in late February.
- When does booking open?
- In blocks of games, about 4 to 6 weeks before, at 10:00 to 12:00 JST. Tigers home games at Koshien all go on sale in late February. As of November 2026 the 2026 season is over. The 2027 regular season opens on Friday 26 March 2027, and the Central League published its 2027 schedule on 4 November 2026. Ticket dates for 2027 are announced by each team, usually from January and February.
- How far ahead is that?
- About 4 to 6 weeks ahead for most teams; the whole season from late February at Koshien.
- Where do I book?
- On each team's official ticket site. The Giants and the Swallows have English ticket sites, and all six Pacific League teams, including the Hawks, the Fighters and the Orix Buffaloes, sell to visitors through Tickets in Japan, which takes overseas cards in English.
- Does it sell out?
- Often for the popular games. The Giants say weekend games tend to sell out quickly, and Koshien is in high demand from the day the season goes on sale. When advance tickets sell out, the Giants, the Swallows and the BayStars sell no tickets on the day.
- Can I cancel or change?
- Each team and seller sets its own rules for changes and for games that are called off, so read them before you buy. Buy only from the team or its listed sellers: the Giants warn that tickets from unofficial resellers can be refused at the gate, and the Tigers note that resale for profit is prohibited under Japan's ticket resale law.
- When do NPB tickets go on sale?
- In blocks of games about 4 to 6 weeks ahead for most teams, at 10:00 to 12:00 Japan time. The Hanshin Tigers put the whole Koshien season on sale in late February. Each team announces its own dates.
- How much are Japanese baseball tickets?
- At Tokyo Dome in 2026, reserved upper seats were 2,200 to 2,800 yen and the best reserved seats 6,800 to 7,700 yen. Outfield standing places were 1,500 to 1,800 yen. Prices vary by game and team.
- Can I buy baseball tickets in Japan with a foreign credit card?
- Yes, through the right seller. Tickets in Japan takes overseas cards for all six Pacific League teams, the Giants list sellers that work from abroad, and the Swallows' English site takes Apple Pay and Google Pay. Some Japanese ticket sites decline cards issued abroad.
- Can I buy NPB tickets on the day?
- Sometimes, if the game has not sold out in advance. The Giants, the Swallows and the BayStars sell no tickets on the day once advance tickets are gone.
- When is the NPB season?
- Pre-season from late February, the regular season from late March to early October, then the Climax Series and the Japan Series in October. The 2027 season opens on 26 March 2027.
How to book
Pick the team and the park. In Tokyo, the Giants play at Tokyo Dome and the Swallows at Jingu Stadium, and the BayStars play at Yokohama Stadium. In Osaka and nearby Nishinomiya, the Tigers play at Hanshin Koshien Stadium and the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka. The Hawks play at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, and the Fighters at Es Con Field Hokkaido.
Find the sale date on the team's ticket page. In 2026 the Giants sold games in blocks at 11:00 JST about 5 to 6 weeks ahead, such as the games from 15 to 24 May on 4 April. The Swallows sold blocks on Saturdays at 11:00, about 5 to 6 weeks ahead. The Hawks sold each month at 10:00 about 4 to 5 weeks before it began, such as May on 22 March.
For the Tigers, plan for one big sale. All home games at Koshien for 2026 went on sale online at 12:00 JST on 25 February, and in stores two days later only if online had not sold out. Up to 6 tickets per person per game.
Buy on the English site where there is one. The Giants' English BUY TICKET page lists the sellers that work from abroad, since their Japanese pages may not. The Swallows' English site sells e-tickets paid by Apple Pay or Google Pay only. For the Pacific League teams, Tickets in Japan takes overseas credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, in English, Traditional Chinese and Korean.
As a guide to price, a 2026 seat at Tokyo Dome was 2,200 to 2,800 yen in the cheapest reserved upper seats (Reserved C), 2,300 to 2,900 yen in the outfield, and 6,800 to 7,700 yen in Reserved S, depending on the game. Outfield standing places were 1,500 to 1,800 yen and sold from 10:00 on the day. 2027 prices have not been published as of November 2026.
If it’s sold out
Try another date. A team at home usually plays several games in a row, and weekday games are usually easier to get than weekends.
Try the other team in town. Tokyo has the Giants and the Swallows, with the BayStars a short train ride away in Yokohama, and Osaka has the Tigers and the Orix Buffaloes.
For the Tigers, look at the visitor package on e+, sold until 2 weeks before each game, or a Tigers game at Kyocera Dome Osaka, which goes on sale separately.
Booking for a group
Buy all the seats in one order on the sale morning, so the group sits together. The Tigers allow up to 6 tickets per person per game, and the Tokyo Dome counter 8 per person per game, 4 on the first day of a sale.
Outfield seats are where the cheering sections stand, sing and wave flags for the whole game. Groups who want to watch quietly do better in the infield seats.
Child prices and age rules differ by team and by seat, so check them on the team's price page before you buy.
Good to know
- The season runs in four parts. Pre-season games (open-sen) run from late February to late March. The regular season runs from late March to early October. The Climax Series playoffs follow in October, and the Japan Series closes the year in late October. From November to February there are no games.
- Playoff tickets go on sale only days before the games. In 2026 the Japan Series ran from 24 October to 1 November, and its tickets went on sale on 22 October. Treat postseason games as a bonus, not a plan.
- Tigers visitor package: a third-base Alps seat with team goods, 8,500 to 9,200 yen in 2026 depending on the game, sold on the English e+ site. The buyer collects it on the day from 10:00 at the booth by Gate 9, with a passport.
- At Yokohama Stadium, tickets bought on the day at the Yokohama Park office are cash only. Advance tickets can be paid by card.
- Fighters tickets at Es Con Field are QR e-tickets on the F-Ticket site, which needs a free F VILLAGE account and may decline cards issued outside Japan, so Tickets in Japan is the easier route from abroad.
Sources
- NPB: 2026 season schedule (official): Pre-season games from 21 February to 22 March 2026, both leagues opening on 27 March, the Climax Series from 10 October, and the Japan Series from 24 October to 1 November, with Japan Series tickets on sale from 22 October.
- NPB: 2027 season dates (official, Japanese): Both leagues open on Friday 26 March 2027; the All-Star Games on 21 and 22 July; the Climax Series from 9 October and the Japan Series from 23 October 2027.
- NPB: 2027 Central League schedule announced (official, Japanese): The Central League 2027 schedule, published on 4 November 2026, with 143 games per team.
- NPB: teams and home grounds (official): The 12 teams and their home grounds, such as Tokyo Dome, Jingu Stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium, Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka and Es Con Field Hokkaido.
- Yomiuri Giants: how to buy tickets (official): Weekend games tend to sell out quickly; the listed sellers for visitors; use the English BUY TICKET page; no tickets on the day if advance tickets sell out; tickets from unofficial resellers may be refused at entry.
- Yomiuri Giants: buy tickets and 2026 prices (official): The 2026 sale dates for each block of games at 11:00 JST, and 2026 Tokyo Dome prices by game category, from Reserved C at 2,200 to 2,800 yen to Reserved S at 6,800 to 7,700 yen, with outfield standing at 1,500 to 1,800 yen from 10:00 on the day.
- Tokyo Yakult Swallows: official site (English): The English Swallows Ticket site sells e-tickets paid by Apple Pay or Google Pay; the 2026 sale dates by block on Saturdays at 11:00; ticket boxes at Jingu on the day, with none if advance tickets sell out.
- Hanshin Tigers: Koshien regular season tickets (official, Japanese): 2026 Koshien home games on sale online from 25 February at 12:00 and in stores from 27 February at 10:00; up to 6 tickets per person per game.
- Hanshin Tigers: 2026 regular season ticket sales (official, Japanese): The sale dates for the 2026 home games at Koshien and Kyocera Dome Osaka, and that store sales are not held for seats that sell out online.
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks: ticket sale dates (official, Japanese): 2026 home games sold month by month at 10:00, such as March and April games on 22 February and May games on 22 March.
- Pacific League: tickets for visitors from abroad (official): All six Pacific League teams sell tickets to visitors through Tickets in Japan, with overseas credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, in English, Traditional Chinese and Korean.
- Yokohama DeNA BayStars: tickets (official, English): Advance tickets online or at the Yokohama Park ticket office by card or cash; tickets on the day at the office in cash only; no sales on the day if advance tickets sell out.
Booking rules change; the official site has the last word.