Where Can I Buy Authentic Jerseys?

The selection and prices at the YakyuShop are what you'd get in Japan. There's no shortage of rants and complaints around here over the marketing and merchandising abilities of the NPB teams. When a team puts something unique and affordable on sale, they're continually surprised at how fast it sells out - but they don't repeat it. (Nippon Ham's "Big Bang Offense" T-shirts come to mind.)

The YakyuShop owner wants to give you fans what you're asking for. But he doesn't want to ruin the relationship with the teams to sell official goods, a relationship that took many years to create. So the YakyuShop is caught in the middle of fans who want goods like they can get from MLB, in American sizes, at American prices and the Japanese teams who each run their own goods certification based on no market research of their actual fan base whatsoever, and arbitrarily charge what ever they think the Japanese market will accept.

I'm afraid that you won't find a legitimately licensed "authentic" jersey in the style you're looking for or for a U.S. market price. The world isn't yet flat when it comes to sports marketing.

Thanks for the quick and helpful reply! If I were to actually go visit the stadium, would they have a team store there like they do at MLB stadiums? And would I be able to find it there?

The answer to that should be yes. If you go to team shops you will be able to get it with ease.

- If you go to team shops you will be able to get it with ease.

Actually, I'm not so sure about that. Authentic are custom made and it's unlikely that you'd be able to buy one at the store without the normal 40-day wait.

Replicas are another matter, and Darvish jerseys should be easily available. Nippon Ham replicas are good quality, so there's probably no need to pay 30,450 yen for an authentic. That's if you can fit into the biggest size, Japanese L.

I'll second that on the Fighters replica jersey quality. My Ogasawara replica Fighters home jersey cost like 9,000 yen and is really really nice, if somewhat useless now.

Also, I got it at the Tokyo Dome shop, which sells stuff from all teams, all the time, though the selection is obviously best for Giants merchandise.

I was under the impression that a lot of teams sell blank jerseys and also sell the letters and numbers so fans can assemble whatever name and number they want, though?

- I was under the impression that a lot of teams sell blank jerseys and also sell the letters and numbers so fans can assemble whatever name and number they want, though?

Yes, you're quite right - some teams provide the individual iron-on letters and numbers for replica jerseys. I think the Fighters have selected player jerseys available, though, including Darvish, so there wouldn't be a need to buy the iron-ons separately.