2025 NPB Tour Segment 2: Southern Japan- JapanBall

A Sampler of the Japanese Baseball Experience

May 17 - 24, 2025

Experience a taste of it all:

Five NPB games at five different stadiums, including some of Japan’s best and most historic ballparks.
Stays in four of Japan’s world-class cities.
Sightseeing in Hiroshima (to visit the Peace Park and other essential sites).
Visits to the Koshien Stadium Museum, Sadaharu Oh Museum, and optional add-ons to a memorable sumo lunch show and the Ichiro Suzuki Museum and more as part of the “Ichiro Pilgrimage.”

And let’s not forgot perhaps the two best parts – delicious Japanese food and drink, and the camaraderie of fellow adventurous baseball lovers!

This tour stops in two of the top cities in the world for travelers, according to Condé Nast’s 2021 rankings! Baseball highlights include games at Japan’s oldest ballpark, Koshien Stadium (built in 1924, home of the Hanshin Tigers), JapanBaller-favorite Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium (home of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp).

For an idea on what to expect, check out our 2023 Tour Recap.

This tour can be combined on the front end with NPB Tour Segment 1 (making it the NPB Full Tour) and on the back end with our South Korea Tour.

We recommend arriving to Tokyo one day early to give your body time to rest, adjust to the time change, and enable you to travel with the rest of the tour group to Fukuoka. We would be happy to reserve your hotel in Tokyo. If you want more time in Tokyo, you may want to join the Tokyo NPB Tour (which can be combined with the last four days of this tour Segment 2) or Segment 1.

This tour may be very physically demanding for some guests due to our frequent travel. We will change hotels several times via sometimes long train rides. It is required that all guests must be able to carry/roll their own luggage during train transfers for about 1/3 mile (including up and down flights of stairs), and also lift their bags to the overhead space on trains. If you expect to have any difficulties with these requirements, then we recommend that you consider the Tokyo NPB Tour.

Click here to download a spreadsheet version of our full NPB and KBO tour schedule.

*Itinerary

Note: If departing from the USA, you will leave the day before your arrival and cross the international date line in the air.

Thursday, May 15: Optional early arrival if attending sumo lunch show on May 16
Friday, May 16: Recommended early arrival to travel with group to Fukuoka; sumo lunch show (optional add-on – if arrived by May 15)
May 17: Travel with group from Tokyo or meet in Fukuoka; group sightseeing
May 18: Sadaharu Oh Museum; Rakuten Eagles vs SoftBank Hawks @ Fukuoka PayPay Dome (2:00 PM)
May 19: Hiroshima sightseeing; Okonomiyaki Experience
May 20: Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum; Yakult Swallows vs Hiroshima Carp @ Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium (6:00 PM)
May 21: Koshien tour and museum; Yomiuri Giants vs Hanshin Tigers @ Koshien Stadium (6:00 PM)
May 22: Lotte Marines vs Orix Buffaloes @ Kyocera Dome (6:00 PM)
May 23: Farewell lunch; Hanshin Tigers vs Chunichi Dragons @ Vantelin Dome Nagoya (6:00 PM)
Saturday, May 24: Tour ends – depart from Nagoya, flying home or to Seoul to join our South Korea Tour; If add-on purchased, partake in optional “Ichiro Suzuki Pilgrimage” day tour
Sunday, May 25: Depart from Nagoya if Ichiro extension purchased

*This itinerary is subject to change.

What's Included

Price

$3,887 double occupancy

$4,524 single occupancy

Booking not yet available – join our “no-obligation” tour list by clicking below.

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Sign up if you’re interested in attending but aren’t quite ready to commit. The no-obligation list simply allows us to plan better and assures your spot on the tour. You’ll begin to receive trip information emails, and if you find you cannot go on the tour, no worries.

Questions?

An amazing trip. Very well organized, but flexible enough to do a lot of exploring on our own. 10/10 would recommend.

Jeremy P.

Marietta, GA

Great time. I met terrific people as both tour guests and the Japanese we met along the way. And the baseball was a hoot.

Paul

Toronto, ON

This was my 5th trip with JapanBall, 4 to Japan and 1 to the Dominican Republic. As always, I've had a great time. The trip is well structured and organized, with the flexibility to do different things from the group or to stick with the tour closely. I would travel with them again.

Tom R.

Sylvania, OH

Can’t thank you enough for a great trip. What you do is truly remarkable. I had a blast. Spent my extra days after the trip walking about Tokyo and really seeing a lot since by doing the tour with you first I learned how to get around. It’s a trip I’ll never forget.

Dennis

Lexington, VA

The baseball…the unique culture…Hiroshima…the good group of fellow travelers. You were right, your tour attracts nice people. Great trip! I really enjoyed it.

Vinny

Boston, MA

I have worked and attended thousands of sporting events over the past four decades in the United States, England, and Ireland, but none of that compared to my first professional baseball game in Japan. It was an incredible and unique experience. The players were just as talented as their counterparts in the USA and the fans just as passionate. I felt it an honor to be at the game. The service from JapanBall was impeccable. I hope to return again in the future.

Scott

Glendale, CA

The trip to Japan far exceeded my expectations. Your efforts to plan and execute the logistics of everything we did was flawless. Where do I begin to thank you? I feel as though you gave me a gift. You opened a door and helped me experience a place and people in a way that I might not otherwise had the opportunity to do without you.

Nancy

Southampton, MA

This trip exceeded our expectations. If you’re a baseball fan and want to broaden your experience overseas to Japan, Korea, Europe and the DR, check out JapanBall. ⚾️⚾️⚾️

Steve

Whittier, CA

I live in Japan. I loved the trip. It was fabulous. You took all the hassle and stress out of doing such a thing. Even after living here for a number of years, this sort of tour is not something I’d do on my own. Many thanks.

Ken

Fussa City, West Tokyo

We knew the trip would be interesting, but we NEVER expected to meet such a terrific group of people from all parts of the country. Yes, it was a tour group. However, your low-key and relaxed approach to travel and accommodations made the experience so much more personal to each one of us.

Molly and Patty

Nashville, TN

My visit to Japan was incredible! I had long been aware of baseball in Japan, and thought that seeing a game in Japan would be a “bucket list”-type trip, but I never seriously considered it as it seemed out of reach. The services provided by JapanBall made this trip possible for me, and I had a fantastic time! I would definitely consider a future visit to Japan on a JapanBall tour, and I’m also interested in other destinations to which they travel (e.g., Netherlands, Dominican Republic, South Korea)

Philip H.

Tampa, FL

We had thought of it as a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but now we want to go back and do it again. Maybe one of these years. Thanks for a fabulous tour!

Loreen and Bryan

Hayward, CA

It is already a month since the trip and am still sky high. Thanks for the great trip!

Chris

Pleasanton, CA

Your idea to combine baseball and travel in Japan is more than just a tourist adventure. You provide travelers an insight that they simply couldn’t otherwise get without your expertise and enthusiasm.

Michelle

Chicago, IL

Just a note to let you know that we made it home in one piece. Well, actually, more than one piece since we both took a large bit of Japan home with us in our hearts.

Tom and Maria

Ossining, NYg, NY

2025 NPB Tour: Segment 2