Osaka Dome or Hiroshima Stadium

I can only speak for Osaka Dome, but yes, there is a large store there which sells merchandise from most teams, including cards, although their card selection is not the greatest (especially in February). It used to be called Buffie (after the Kintetsu mascot), but after the merger with Orix, I suppose that will change. In any case, the store was closed the last time I looked (in mid-December), and they had cleaned out all of the merchandise. Hopefully that was a temporary situation, and it will be reopen in time for your visit in February. I'll see if I can find out for you (unless anybody else has more info).

BTW, the store is not located inside the stadium building itself, but on ground level, next to Mr. Donut.

If you can't make it to the team stores, many department stores have cards and collectibles in their toy or book sections. 7-11s and Circle Ks (both convenience stores) have card packs available. Vintage cards can be found at some used book stores. Unfortunately, many of the sportscard shops have started to close like their counterparts in the USA.

Something else to consider while visiting is that Hiroshima Stadium is directly across the street from the A-bomb dome and museum. It is basically right at the bridge/ river intersection that the bombedier of the Enola Gay used to line up his cross hairs. Obviously there is a huge amount of history there.

I don't know if there is a souvenir shop near the ballpark like the one at the Osaka Dome, but I'm sure there will be stuff available, particularly in the sporting goods shops. The retail industry in Japan is extremely seasonal, however, so finding baseball stuff in February could be difficult. The major department stores may not be carrying anything.

I was at Hiroshima Stadium last June. There is no souvenir shop there like at the Tokyo Dome or Osaka Dome. There are a few Hiroshima Carp souvenirs in shops in the train station and across the street from the stadium in a couple of convenience stores, but there isn't much. I also was at Osaka Dome last June. There was a big shop in the lower level of the Dome, near the McDonalds. It had some Buffaloes goods, but also from all of the other Japanese teams, too. The other post mentioned the shop that is outside the Dome; this is different from the one in the Dome.

The Hanshin department store, across from the Osaka train station (Osaka Station, not the Shinkansen station, Shin-Osaka), had a large selection of Hanshin Tigers' items last June, but since Japanese retail is seasonal, I'm not sure if they'll have it in February or not. Good luck.

The Tigers shop on the 8th floor of the Hanshin Department Store is a permanent fixture, and it has pretty much every item of Hanshin product there is to buy.

I can personally attest to the variety of their range of Hanshin Tigers boxer shorts!

Yes, but cards are a problem. Most of the stores mentioned above don't have a wide range. I was at Hanshin Department Store the other day, and they had one 2004 series in stock, but the rest of the year is not much different.

And at the moment they're short a couple of jersey sizes. But it's only February, of course.

I'm glad to hear that the Tigers' section on the 8th floor of the Hanshin Department Store is a permanent fixture. It is the most awesome display of baseball souvenirs for one team that I've ever seen in one place. My sons and I agree that if we weren't already diehard Swallows' fans after six seasons at Jingu, we'd definitely switch to the Tigers. We probably have just as many Tigers' items in our Atlanta basement now as we do Swallows' items because Hanshin has so many cool things.

Many thanks for the numerous replies. I really appreciate the information! This will be my first time in Japan.

Hiroshima has a small souvenir shop. There is a small door from outside the stadium with a small sign that says "Carp Goods" or something. If you are facing the main entrance behind home plate, it will be down about 100 yards to your right (along the first base line). It is a very small and inconspicuous entrance, and as you walk in, you will enter another small unmarked but open door (just walk around until you find it, no one will bother you). It is not in any way like a store most people are used to, but they do have a variety of Carp merchandise for sale.