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2023 Main Tour

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A Sampler of the Japanese Baseball Experience

September 16-24, 2023: 9 Days, 6 Ballparks, 6 Cities

Our Main Tour has been a hallmark of international baseball travel for 20+ years, and we promise that it will be the trip of a lifetime!

Experience a taste of it all: six of NPB’s big league ballparks, stops in six of Japan’s world-class cities, delicious Japanese food and drink, the camaraderie of fellow baseball adventurers, and so much more.

We added Kyoto as a stop on this year’s tour because it is Japan’s cultural hub. This tour stops in the top three 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), and the world-famous Tokyo Dome, home of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants.

We’ll meet up in Tokyo and then right away head to Nagoya for our first game (at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, home of the Chunichi Dragons). We then continue to work our way south to Osaka, and then NPB’s two southernmost cities, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. In Hiroshima, we will pay our respects at the Hiroshima Peace Park. We’ll then work our way back north with an optional stop in Kyoto (Japan’s cultural center) before wrapping up in Tokyo.

This tour can be combined with the South Korea Tour, Tokyo Pre-Tour, and Northern Add-OnTo better visualize the tour dates, click here to download a calendar version of our Japan and Korea schedules.

Note: we recommend arriving to Tokyo at least one day early for two reasons: 

1.) To reduce the chances of missing the group’s departure to Nagoya on the morning of September 17 (in case of any missed airline connections or other delays) and

2.) To give your body more time to adjust to the time change. We would be happy to reserve your hotel for additional nights on the front end and you’re also welcome to join any portion of the Tokyo Pre Tour if you want to catch more ballgames!

This tour may be very physically demanding for some guests due to our frequent travel and Japan’s heat and humidity in September. We will change hotels six 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 Main Tour.

Japan has Covid-related travel requirements. Guests will likey need to either be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or present a negative Covid test, amongst other requirements. Visit the website of the US Embassy in Japan for current information.

*Itinerary

  • Fri. Sept. 15: Depart U.S.A., cross international date line in-air (You may want to consider leaving earlier – see note above)
  • 9/16: Arrival to Tokyo and welcome reception
  • 9/17 Nagoya: morning bullet train to Nagoya, Carp @ Chunichi Dragons (2:00 PM)
  • 9/18 Osaka: BayStars @ Hanshin Tigers (2:00 PM)
  • 9/19 Osaka: Marines @ Orix Buffaloes (6:00 PM)
  • 9/20 Hiroshima: BayStars @ Toyo Carp (6:00 PM)
  • 9/21 Fukuoka: Marines @ SoftBank Hawks (6:00 PM)
  • 9/22 Kyoto: sightseeing (optional – can also proceed straight to Tokyo)
  • 9/23 Tokyo: Carp @ Yomiuri Giants (2:00 PM)
  • 9/24: Depart Tokyo or continue to Northern Add-On Tour
*Itinerary is subject to change.

Price

$TBA double occupancy

$TBA single supplement

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Questions?

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