Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Weather on Oct 21: Cloudy · 19°C

Club Overview

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows were founded in 1950 as the Kokutetsu Swallows. The team’s “Swallows” name comes from a limited express train once run by the club’s original parent company, Japanese National Railways. Yakult won its first league and Japan Series titles in 1978, and has since added up to nine league titles and six Japan Series titles overall.

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows are a Central League club based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Their home, Meiji Jingu Stadium, is a cozy open-air ballpark with tight foul territory that keeps fans close to the action, holding about 37,900 fans.

🎯 A Marketer's Take on This Venue

Meiji Jingu Stadium Guide — English Tickets, Access, Murakami’s Double →

Seating Guide

The right-field side is the Swallows’ (home) zone, while most of left field is for visiting fans. Seats are divided into S (behind home plate), A (along the baselines), and B (behind the foul poles) categories, with all-reserved seating since 2020.

Tickets

Official tickets can be purchased through the club’s own ticketing site (“Swa-Chike”) or the English-language Pia site.

Go to Official Ticket Page

This site is mainly in Japanese — here's how to get through it

On the ticket site, click your desired match date.
Choose a seating zone — pricing for each zone is shown directly on the site.
Sign up or log in, then pick your seat and complete the payment.
Some clubs check ID against the buyer's name at entry, so bring your passport along with the ticket.

Tip: in Chrome, right-click the page and choose "Translate to English" to read button labels instantly.

Food Guide

Around the stadium you’ll find a variety of restaurants and shops. Check the button below for a real, location-based list.

See All Nearby Restaurants →

Cheer Culture

One of NPB’s most famous rituals — when the Swallows score or before the Lucky 7th, fans pop open clear plastic umbrellas and dance to “Tokyo Ondo” while shouting “Banzai!” It began in the 1970s as a way to visually amplify a fan base outnumbered by the Giants.

📍 Getting There

Meiji Jingu Stadium (明治神宮野球場) · 13 Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Tap the button below to see transit, walking, and driving directions from your current location to the stadium, via Google Maps.

💡 Insider Tips

🚌 Getting Around

Exit 3 of Gaienmae station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is the easiest route, about a 5–6 minute walk. JR Shinanomachi station and Toei Oedo Line’s Kokuritsu-Kyogijo station are also about 12 minutes away.

🏨 Lodging

International chain hotels are plentiful within a 2–3 minute walk of Gaienmae station (near Aoyama, Akasaka, and Roppongi). Tokyu Stay Aoyama Premier, 2 minutes from Gaienmae, comes with a washer-dryer and microwave in every room, ideal for longer stays.

🎟️ Tickets — improved for foreign fans

The English-language sales service was overhauled in February 2024, introducing “Swallows Ticket.” It supports Google Pay and Apple Pay and is designed to allow purchases without registration — a significant improvement for foreign visitors.

🎁 Club Perks

Lim Chang-yong, a Korean pitcher, signed with the Swallows in 2008 and is well known to Korean fans as a former KBO legend closer (a past connection, unrelated to the current roster).

💡 Insider Tips

The 1st-base side is home, the 3rd-base side is for away fans, and the center of away cheering is the left field stands. Signature food includes fried chicken “Jinkara,” the club-run concession “JINGU BASE,” and the original lemon sour “Jinremo” — and the stadium is also famous for its walking beer vendors.