In honor of the 2019 NPB champs, here is a long-overdue game report from Fukuoka. Congratulations to the Hawks for winning yet another championship. This most recent championship marks the sixth since 2011. The Hawks won in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Now that is a dynasty. The cherry on top of this year’s title is that it comes at the expensive of the hated Yomiuri Giants. I love to see the Giants lose and seeing them make it to the finals and get swept makes me feel better about them having a good year.
Location
The Hawks are the only team on the island of Kyushu (九州). This lack of competition makes them the only game in town. But with the team winning pretty much every year, it is not hard to fill up the Yafuoko! Dome. Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyushu and the sixth largest city in Japan. This fact is rather surprising as it really doesn’t feel like a huge city. I think living so close to Tokyo, every other big city just feels smaller. I don’t know how to justify this thought as every city over 1 million should feel like a massive metropolis to this country boy, but that’s just the way it is.
Fukuoka seems to be a very popular tourist spot for Koreans. Apparently flights are very cheap and there is even access by ferry from Busan to Fukuoka. There was certainly plenty of Korean signage in the more popular tourist area. Another very popular part of Fukuoka is the Nakasu area. It is not a family friendly area though. I felt more like I was in Bangkok than Japan walking around that part of town. Hostess bars dominate the area. Unfortunately, I have nothing to report on that aspect of Fukuoka nightlife as I don’t possess the funds to partake in that particular form of entertainment.
One very nice place to visit is Ohori Park and the Japanese Garden located within the park. The day I was there it was extremely hot and humid, so strolling around the lake was not exactly relaxing, but the Japanese garden was worth the trip.
Access
Getting to the stadium is quite easy as with most stadiums in the NPB. We stayed in the Nakasukawabata area. It is a nice central location so I recommend staying around here if you ever find yourself in Fukuoka. The train journey to Tojinmachi Station takes about 8 minutes. There is then a 15 minute or so walk to the stadium. On the walk towards the stadium, there are plenty of convenience stores to load up on snacks and pregame drinks.
Atmosphere and gameday experience
The Hawks know how to put on a quality show. Everything one comes to expect from a baseball game in Japan can be found during a Hawks game. Dancing girls, check.
Crazy, somewhat disturbing mascots, check.
Boisterous oendan, check.
Games and promotions on the giant scoreboards, check.
The game we saw was particularly entertaining as the Hawks got off to a fast start and hit three home runs in the first inning. The opposition, the Lotte Marines, also hit a couple of long balls of their own and I believe there were eight home runs on the night. The ball must carry well in the dome. One aside, it seems every other game I see, the opponent is the Lotte Marines. Maybe it is just fate as I live in Chiba and they are the local team. Too bad I am not a fan of that very middling team. However, at least for one night, they were able to put on a good show.
Stadium quality
The Yafuoku! Dome was built in 1993 and still looks very good. It was the first stadium in Japan to feature a retractable roof. We were hoping the dome roof would be open, but the night was quite hot and humid, so the air conditioning was welcome. However, a few more beers would have been consumed had the roof been open. Something to think about game day staff.
Domes are not my preferred venue to watch baseball. But I have to admit that the Yahuoka! Dome is not a bad place to sit back and watch a game. All of the expected amenities are available. The food is good and some regional specialties can be had. The beer girls are plentiful and friendly. There are no obstructed view seats so you can see every part of the game. Overall, it is a fun place to see a game. It doesn’t beat out Hiroshima, but then again, nothing does.
Rolling Tsuchinoko 
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