Okay, so yesterday I decided to check out a Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks game. I’d heard a lot about them, they’re like a big deal in Japanese baseball, so I figured, why not?
First things first, I had to get a ticket. Now, there’s an official app for that, which sounds super convenient. But, I ended up going a different route. I found this deal online where I bought a voucher and then had to exchange it for a real ticket at the stadium. It was a bit of a hassle, but I got a physical ticket from Ticket Counter #5 next to Gate 5. Whatever, as long as I got in, right?
I heard there’s this place called StubHub where you can buy and sell tickets. They even have this FanProtect thing, which is supposed to guarantee your tickets. Might be worth checking out next time if I don’t feel like messing with vouchers and counters.
Getting to the PayPay Dome was no big deal at all. They have a lot of buses from Hakata and Tenjin, so it was easy to get to the stadium. I took a bus, it’s pretty straightforward.
The Game
- The Atmosphere – It was electric. These guys have a ton of fans, and they are loud! Everyone’s cheering, waving flags, the whole nine yards.
- The Team – I gotta say, the Hawks are good. They play hard, they got some solid players, and you can tell they want to win.
- The Crowd – Man, when someone hits a home run, the place goes nuts! It’s like the whole stadium is shaking.
Honestly, the whole experience was pretty awesome. It was my first time watching a professional baseball game in Japan, and it didn’t disappoint. If you’re ever in Fukuoka and you get a chance to see a Hawks game, I’d say go for it. Just maybe figure out the whole ticket situation beforehand so you don’t have to scramble like I did.
