Spring training has come to an end, at least as far as practices and workouts away from home ballparks go. All teams have returned to their respective homes, and for the next three weeks, they will play 15-18 games in preparation for Opening Day on March 29. Well, with games not really counting, perhaps this is a good time to take you through the first-ever JapanBall Okinawa Spring Training tour! Enjoy scrolling through the photos, most of which were taken by our guests!
Our first guest arrived a day before the rest, on February 19, and spent the day exploring. The other eight came in the next day (almost all in the evening) and got to our hotel late at night. That didn’t stop them from enjoying the first day of the tour! On February 21, we headed south to Itoman City, where Roki Sasaki and some of the Chiba Lotte Marines were practicing. Many of the players were up in Chatan at the Chunichi Dragons’ facility, where they were scheduled to play an exhibition game that afternoon. We got to see the “Beast of the Reiwa Era” warming up, playing catch, and practicing his fielding. The team’s bullpen was out of sight, and he was not available for autograph signings, unfortunately. In the afternoon, we took in the exhibition game as it was within walking distance from our hotel. The welcome dinner that night was delicious and plentiful.
The next day we drove up north to Nago, where the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters work out. As we watched them take live batting practice, we got to converse with legend (and current international scout) Matt Winters, who gave us valuable insights into his job, the Fighters organization, and more. In the afternoon, we went to one of the most popular aquariums in all of Asia.
The next three days saw us watching the defending NPB champions, the Hanshin Tigers, on the road in three exhibition games. First, on Friday, we sat on the first-base side at Okinawa Cellular Stadium (Naha) as the host team, the Yomiuri Giants, scored seven runs in the first inning en route to a 9-4 victory. We enjoyed an awamori distillery in the afternoon, where we got to sample the “Okinawan whiskey” and see where they store the liquid in 65,000-liter tanks.
On Saturday, it was the Tokyo Yakult Swallows hosting the Tigers at ANA Ballpark Urasoe. They scored a run in the first and it held as the pitchers held the Tigers to just one single hit all day. Following the game, we took a short bus ride to Shuri Castle, which is the symbol of Okinawa. It was burned down to the ground in 2019 and is still being restored, but there was plenty to see and appreciate.
Then on Sunday, the Dragons welcomed the Tigers to Agre Stadium Chatan. The Tigers scored the game’s first run but the Dragons fought back in the middle innings, winning 4-1. That evening, we had drinks and some light food at a pub near the hotel called Koshien Stadium Okinawa. The owner made it to the national high school tournament (at Koshien, of course) and the entire place was wonderfully thematized to show his love for Japanese baseball’s mecca and the boys who became stars on that stage.
Day six was completely baseball-free, as we spent the day learning about the history of the island. In particular, we went to a museum that commemorated a ship that sank during World War II and resulted in the loss of over 1,500 lives, most of whom were civilians. The other major highlight was the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum, which gave us an eye-opening education about the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives during World War II. It was definitely a sobering day. The final day of the tour, February 27, was a chance to get back to baseball, as we watched the Hiroshima Carp work out for their fans at Koza Shinkan Ballpark (Okinawa City). We also had one final hosted dinner at a restaurant near the hotel called Tansaibo. It featured delectable local cuisine, fruits, and drink, and was a perfect conclusion to the tour.
In all, we got to see six of the nine spring training camp locations, and seven of the nine teams that were in Okinawa in February. Due to scheduling circumstances, we could not see the Rakuten Eagles or Yokohama DeNA Baystars this time around. But the tour was such a blast that we will surely get a chance to see those teams next time around! If you find yourself itching for baseball (and warm weather) when February rolls around again, why don’t you consider joining our tour?
