Jingu Stadium
Last Update : April 7th, 2026 with information about the Tokyo Big 6 College games
Completed in 1926, Jingu Stadium is one of the four MLB/NPB stadiums remaining where Babe Ruth once played. The park has a nostalgic feel that rivals Wrigley or Fenway, but unfortunately the stadium hasn't really gotten the update it needs and lacks a proper concourse which results in a constant mess of people queuing to buy food or to use the toilet. A new and more modern stadium is in the plans with completion scheduled around 2032 at the site of the Rugby Stadium next door. The current Jingu Stadium is planned to be demolished once the new field is ready.
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows team, along with the collegiate Tokyo Big 6 League regularly use the field. The amateurs have the priority during the day, so the Swallows usually play a night game starting at 6pm. For the 2026 season, there will be a total of eight day games (Apr 4, 5, 29/June 6, 7, 20, 21/Sep 23) which is actually an increase from only four day games in 2025. I would expect these day games to be in extreme high demand as they are on weekends or holidays.
Unlike most American stadiums, bringing outside food is permitted. However any drinks in a can or glass bottle cannot be brought in (Drinks in plastic bottles are ok). There will be a bag inspection at each gate. There will be long lines to buy food or drinks inside the stadium, so I'd suggest to either arrive early or otherwise just purchase something from the outside stores along the way. For team merchandise, there are some stalls outside of the stadium that sell the usual gear like team hats or t-shirts.
Bringing large items should be avoided as the legroom is limited. There are coin operated lockers near gates 4/5, 10 and 16 and also at the adjacent rail stations.
GETTING TICKETS (FOR SWALLOWS GAMES. For the college games, see bottom of the page)
There will be three preseason games on March 13 ,14 (3pm start) and 15th (1pm) which goes on sale February 14th.
The 2026 regular season home opener is on March 31st (Tuesday).
Ticket sales for the regular season will be in different stages.
Games from March 31 to April 19: February 19
Games from April 28 to May 21: March 14
Games from May 26 to June 7 (Interleague games): April 18
Games from June 19 to July 16: May 16
Games from July 20 to August 16: June 20
Remainder of season: July 18
The final game is currently scheduled for September 23rd but if there are any rainouts earlier in the season, it is likely to get added to the very end of the season.
Fan club members are given an extra window of up to 15 days prior to these dates (depending on their status), so some of the good seats could already be gone when the tickets are available to the public. Despite the Swallows finishing in last place for two straight seasons, ticket sales were still strong for 2025. Games on the weekend, and important games toward the end of the season have a chance of selling out so it's best to purchase them in advance from their English ticketing site.
https://www.yakult-swallows.co.jp/en/
The platform got a new interface in recent years and comes with a seat view of each designated zone. In the English version, you can select your desired seating zone, but the system will auto-assign seats within that zone. When availability is low, the system could assign non-consecutive seats. In that case, the system will give you an alert and ask if you want to continue with the purchase. QR code for entry will be sent to your e-mail address which you can show on your phone or print them out for verification by staff.
For weekday games earlier in the season when the weather is still chilly, tickets tend to be left over. They can be purchased on game day at the office next to gate 7 and 9 if they are still remaining.
Price of tickets...the AI will decide
The Swallows will continue with their dynamic pricing structure for the 2026 season. Starting this year, only fan club "SWALLOWS CREW" members will have early access to the tickets at the initially set price. Non-fan club members will be subject to different rates which will remain a mystery until they visit the ticketing site. Of course in theory it is possible for the price to eventually drop from the initial offer but as ticket sales have been very strong for the past two seasons, don't expect this to happen very often!
Sometimes the dynamic pricing will be pushed to the extreme when the outfield bleacher seats become more expensive than the nicer seats behind home plate. I have seen this happen especially for Hanshin Tigers games as their loyal fans always come in large numbers to fill the cheering section in the outfield.
Less transparency in the pricing has discouraged me from going to a Swallows game as often as I did before, but so far the team seems to be doing mostly fine with maintaining high attendance figures. In 2025 the team averaged nearly 28,000 fans in a stadium with capacity of about 30,000. However there are a few occasions where the team got way too greedy and entire sections were left unsold - in this case there will be a heavy discount occurring as the game progresses. A fire sale will start either after the end of the 6th inning or two hours after the first pitch at the latest. The maximum charge in this case would be 1,200 JPY for the outfield seats, but I've seen offers for as low as 500 JPY on days the team screwed up with their dynamic pricing. The discounted tickets will only be available at the office next to gate 7 and not through the ticketing website.
HOW THE ENGLISH TICKETING SITE LOOKS LIKE...
I was able to find a detailed seating map PDF of the stadium on this website, so refer to it if you want to check the precise location of the system assignment.
https://cdn-zaseki.music-mdata.com/pdf/25125.pdf
STADIUM TICKET OFFICE
There is also a ticket office at the stadium where you can buy both advance and same-day tickets. Advance tickets are sold at the office next to gate 9. They open only on days when there is a home game, from 11am until 20 minutes after the game finishes. Same-day tickets can be purchased from a separate office next to gate 7 near the main entrance of the stadium. The office will not open in case the tickets completely sell out in advance.
HOME GAMES AWAY FROM JINGU
Like many other clubs, the Swallows will host a few home games outside of the Tokyo area.
For 2026: April 14 (Matsuyama) and May 19 (Iwaki)
IF YOUR GAME IS RAINED OUT
The team website or X account will announce the game cancellation as soon as the decision is confirmed.
For tickets bought on the Japanese ticketing site, an email is sent to the registered address and the user has to input the Japanese bank account detail for the refund to be processed. Unfortunately I'm not sure how the process works for tickets bought on the English site where the user does not have the Japanese bank account but I assume the amount will eventually get refunded to your credit card.
MY FAVORITE SEATS
Day games are rare, but the third base side will be in the shade for most of the afternoon thanks to the buildings next to the stadium. The following are specific areas I like to sit when watching.
The S2 Reserved seats give a really good view of the overall action (numbered ③ and marked in purple on the seating chart)
It's only above row 37 that the protective netting will not be in the way of the playing field (At Jingu, the nets extend all the way across the infield to the foul pole).
Closest entry is from the 4/5 gate for the first base side, gates 9/10 for the third base side.
The A2 Reserved seats (⑧ for first base, ⑨ for third base) are also seats with a good view, though a little bit further from the infield. They are around 1,000 Yen cheaper than the S2 seats.
The entry is from the 2/3 gate for the first base, 11/12 for the third base.
Using the other infield gates (anywhere between 2 to 12) is ok, but gates 1 and 13-18 are for the outfield. Due to the structure of the stadium, you cannot go between the infield and outfield seats.
Panorama Roof A (④) and Roof B (⑤) is in the upper deck behind home plate. This is the only section covered by a roof and would be ideal during the rainy season or in the summer when there is the occasional thundershower.
The pillars can obstruct the view and the aisle seats from rows 5 and beyond are likely to have this problem.
SITTING IN THE OUTFIELD
The outfield is where the more faithful fans sit and it will be a great opportunity to make friends with perfect strangers. As with most Japanese stadiums, the home team Swallows fans sit on the right field side, and most of the left field is reserved for fans of the visiting team. It will be awkward to be wearing any Swallows merchandise if sitting in the visitor fans section, and in most cases the staff will ask you to remove them.
Sections of the outfield used to be non-reserved prior to the pandemic. Since the 2020 season, all seats at Jingu Stadium are reserved and the non-reserved option no longer exists.
The area that is numbered ⑰ on the above seating map is where the most faithful will gather and sold as Outfield Reserved B. They happen to be the area where the seats are more like benches with no seat back (the area covered in yellow in this satellite view)
Beware that rows J, K and L on the right field side and rows M, N and O of the left field side have an obstructed view of the opposite side of the outfield due to the batter's eye.
※A screenshot from the Swallows ticketing site indicating the obstructed view seats next to the batter's eye.
If you want to sit closer to the fans but also want a little more civilized environment, the Outfield C Reserved seats ⑲⑳㉑ are a great option. If you don't want the protective nets getting in the way, choose row 45 or higher. Seats in area ㉑ do not have a seat back and are the most inexpensive section.
What's good about this section is that the seats have a little more width and legroom compared with the other seats. Also they are set at an angle so that they face the infield.
To the contrary, the Infield B Seats (⑩and ⑫ for first base, ⑪ and ⑬ for third base) face the completely wrong direction of the field so my neck will be aching by the end of the game. These seats give a good view of the action in the bullpen but unless you are a fan of one of the relievers, they are best if avoided.
TOKYO BIG 6 COLLEGE GAMES
The Tokyo Big 6 College League, consisting of Waseda, Keio, Meiji, Hosei, Rikkyo and Tokyo University play in Jingu as well. The league was founded in 1925, so it actually has a longer history than any of the NPB teams. The college league still has priority to use Jingu during the day which is why the Swallows almost always play their weekend games at night.
The 2026 spring season will start on April 11 with a doubleheader every weekend until May 24. The season concludes with the Waseda vs Keio game on May 30 and 31.
Schedule https://www.big6.gr.jp/game/league/2026s/2026s_schedule.html
The autumn season schedule is not released yet but for 2025 it was from September 13 to November 2nd. Like the spring season, the final weekend features the Waseda vs Keio game. A seat in the infield is 2,000 JPY and outfield is 1,000 JPY. Except for the Waseda-Keio game, all seats are non-reserved. The spring Waseda-Keio game can sell out, if both teams are contending for the title and the weather is good. For the other games, tickets can easily be purchased at the stadium on game day. There is a ticket office next to the No.7 gate.
ACCESS TO THE STADIUM
The Gaienmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is the closest, about 5-6 minute walk. There are some convenience stores and other food/drinks available on the way. Being the oldest subway line in Tokyo with limited capacity, the trains can get extremely crowded on game day.
It's also possible to use the Sendagaya or Shinanomachi Station on the JR Sobu Line, about 15 minutes north of the ballpark. From these stations, it is a quick ride to Shinjuku.
The Aoyama-ichome Station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line is also within walking distance, about 15 minutes. The longer walk results in fewer people using them. I personally use anything other than the Ginza Line to go home.
Catching a taxi from near the stadium can be difficult after the game. Walking down to the Aoyama Dori Avenue (where the subway station is located) you should have a better chance of finding one.
TOPIC: New Jingu Stadium coming in 2032??
There are plans for a new stadium to replace the current one. It will be built on the site of the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, immediately to the south of the Jingu Stadium.
Opening is scheduled for the 2032, and once completed the current ballpark will be demolished (the open space behind left field in this drawing is where the current ballpark stands)
The current stadium has major concerns about safety against earthquakes, and doing a full renewal on-site is not feasible in cost. While there is some opposition to the plan, the entire property is owned by the Meiji Shrine who insists the new stadium and the additional revenue it will create is necessary to maintain the forest in the main area of the shrine next to Harajuku Station.