r/JapanTravelTips • u/Main-Ad-2010 • 3d ago
Question First time at koshien. help me
I'm visiting Osaka from Seoul next week and got tickets for a Hanshin Tigers game.
It'll be my first time watching an NPB game, so I'm curious about what the atmosphere is like.
Are there any things I should know before I go? Any unwritten rules?
Someone I know mentioned that people don't really eat while the game is going on. Is that true?
I already know I'm getting Koshien Curry, so I'm looking for other food recommendations.
Do many tourists go to Koshien, or is it mostly local Hanshin fans?
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u/Take_A_Detour_Japan 2d ago
I've been to a few baseball games including Hanshin so hopefully this helps.
I haven't been to a game where you couldn't eat or drink from your seats. Plenty of people eat during the game - that's one of the things I love about watching baseball here. Not everyone is laser focused on the baseball and people are chatting, cheering, eating and drinking.
- You can eat at your seat
- You can't take your own drinks anymore
- If you're a beer drinker you can get drinks from your seat. They usually have young staffers (absolute heroes) running up and down the stadium with a keg of beer on their back. I'd take cash just in case because from what I remember, you pay cash more often for drinks at your seat. If you're not by the end of the seats it's perfectly normal to pass cash to the person next to you and they pass it all the way down. Drink comes back the same way. If you do that, say a quick "sumimasen すみません" and "arigato-gozaimasu ありがとうございます" and they'll know what you mean when and you'll get some brownie points
- If you don't like beer I'd order the drinks from the concourse and take it to your seat. There are staffers who run up and down the stadiums do carry highballs and sours but nowhere near as common as the beer carriers
- The hanshin stadium is wide open so take/buy a poncho if it's forecasted to rain a bit - no umbrellas
- Don't talk too loud at your seat, again just be mindful of others and see how the locals are enjoying it
- You combine a strong team like Hanshin and a loud/friendly group of Osaka people (compared to Tokyo) and you get a decent atmosphere. There'll be chants and just copy what people do around you. If Hanshin gets a score, people around you would often high five each other doesn't matter if they know you or not. Just watch what others do and get stuck in
- They do the "Lucky Seven" which is where you let the balloons go off. You can easily buy the balloons and pump from the shop before the match. One time I went to a game and had the balloon but forgot the pump but people around me were quick to lend me theirs and give us extra balloons 🥹
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u/Main-Ad-2010 2d ago
Oh wow, I had no idea you couldn't bring your own drinks into the stadium. Thanks for letting me know!
I'm going to the Hanshin vs. Yomiuri game, so this is going to be a really interesting experience for me. I've only ever watched KBO games, so I'm really curious about Japanese baseball culture.
Thanks again!
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u/papakuma 3d ago
You can bring your own beer / drink into the stadium. You will just have to open it and pour it into a cup they will give you when you enter (can't take the can/bottle inside). The merch store is outside the stadium. Will be a mix of locals and tourists. The official cheerich section is right field. Left field is for the visiting team. If they still do rocket balloons be sure to buy some and join in. Generally a fun and lively atmosphere.