Game day inside the Seibu Dome. Photo by Jim Spavins.

Seibu Dome Stadium Guide

Nestled into a wooded hillside in the Saitama Prefecture, the Seibu Dome is home to the Pacific League's Seibu Lions.  This stadium began its existence in 1979 as an outdoor ballpark only to be converted in the late 1990s to a dome stadium.  The stadium is not completely enclosed as some of the concourse walkway area that rings the top of the seating bowl is not covered.  If it rains, expect to get a little wet if you visit some of these concession stands.

What to See at the Ballpark 

With its rural location, there is little to do around the ballpark.  The main souvenir and gift shop areas are located outside the ballpark between the train station and Gate 1 and 3.  Inside, you will find limited concession offerings in the stands around the top of the seating bowl.  If you have infield seats, there is tiered level of concessions located at first and third base which offer a bit more than the small stands up top.

Getting to the Game

If you want to see a game and are coming from Tokyo, the easiest way to get to the ballpark is to take the Express train from the Seibu Department store at Tokorozawa Station which runs directly to the stadium.  These express trains only run on game days and only at specific times.  Otherwise, you will have to transfer at least once.  Buy a round trip ticket before you leave to avoid the post game rush to the train.

  Want more? Japanese Baseball Road Trip Guide »  

Related Links

Lions Website (Japanese)

Seibu Dome Website (Japanese)

Wikipedia Info (English)