Ticket availability for Hanshin Tigers

Well I was at the game last night, and it was completely sold out. Completely. They had signs up at Koshien station saying this, and the ticket office confirmed it - nothing available at all.

Go to the Japanese Yahoo auction site. They have a lot of tickets there, and since the season just started, the tickets are around $16-$20 (right field). If you're planning to go to Osaka later this year and want to see Hanshin games, I suggest that you buy the tickets now at the Yahoo auction because last season the ticket prices went up to around $50.

I went on the 9th and, although it said that the place was sold out, there was no one sitting around me for around 5 seats, and this was in right field, too.

- I went on the 9th and, although it said that the place was sold out, there was no one sitting around me for around 5 seats, and this was in right field, too.

Right. Last night there were a few vacant seats over in left field. But if the ticket office say there's nothing available, what do you do?

The Yahoo! auction is probably a good idea, because the regular channels are useless.

Hi. I don't know a lot about baseball, but I am planning on going to see a game in Osaka on the 27th. Where is the best place to sit, what are the usual prices there, and where can I book tickets?

In Osaka? Would that be a Kintetsu game? Hanshin plays Yokohama on the 27th but the Tigers' ground, Koshien Stadium, is not in Osaka.

If Kintetsu are playing at home on that day at Osaka Dome, you can probably get tickets from Ticket Pia. If you want to go to the Hanshin game, you'll need to go to a ticket re-sale place (what's the word - "broker"?) or bid on Yahoo! Auctions. Either way, you'll pay more than the price printed on the ticket, because Hanshin games are long since sold out.

- In Osaka? Would that be a Kintetsu game? Hanshin plays Yokohama on the 27th but the Tigers' ground, Koshien Stadium, is not in Osaka.

Although Tora-san is correct (Koshien is in Hyogo-ken), you should note that the stadium is very close to Osaka. It takes about 15 minutes on the Hanshin Dentetsu limited express train from Umeda station, right next to Osaka station.

- If you want to go to the Hanshin game, you'll need to go to a ticket re-sale place (what's the word - "broker"?) or bid on Yahoo! Auctions. Either way, you'll pay more than the price printed on the ticket, because Hanshin games are long since sold out.

Yahoo Auctions is definitely your best bet - more supply than a ticket broker, and still not widely used. If you are patient, you can usually do well. I lucked out and got 4 "orange" seats for the Saturday game against Hiroshima (5-4, 12 innings, great game!) at a 20% discount to the face value. They were even covered seats so I didn't get soaked. If you are patient and shop around you might get a deal, especially for a Thursday game.

I just had a quick look and found lots of tickets on Yahoo Auctions for 5/27. One bit of advice - orange seats will usually be less than yellow seats because the orange seats are on the 3rd base side, traditonally the visitor's area. But with Hanshin so popular, it doesn't matter where you sit, the fans around you will all be rooting for the Tigers.

Good luck!