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Travel and life in Japan

Watching Sports in Japan: Baseball, Sumo and Football in Japanese

By the Hanabuddies team · · 3 min read

Watching a baseball game, a sumo tournament or a football match is one of the best ways to see everyday Japan, and you only need a little Japanese to enjoy it. The key words are on the ticket: 指定席 (reserved seat), 自由席 (unreserved seat), 前売り券 (advance ticket) and 当日券 (on-the-day ticket), plus the gate (ゲート), block, row (列) and seat number (番). Buy tickets from official sellers, arrive early for unreserved seats, and learn a few cheers. This guide covers tickets, stadium words and what to expect at baseball, sumo and football.

Tickets and seats

  • 前売り券 / 当日券: advance / on-the-day tickets. Popular games and sumo weekends can sell out (完売) early.
  • 指定席 / 自由席: reserved / unreserved seats.
  • ホーム / ビジター: home / away side. At baseball and football, sit on the side of the team you support.
  • 〇ゲート、〇列〇番: gate, row and seat number.
  • 再入場: re-entry. Not always allowed.

Buy from the team’s or venue’s official site, official ticket sellers or convenience store terminals. Reselling many event tickets above face value without permission is illegal in Japan, so avoid unofficial resellers. We don’t buy or resell tickets for clients. See Japanese for concerts and live events for more ticket words.

Baseball (プロ野球)

Professional baseball is the most popular spectator sport in Japan, with a season from spring to autumn. The outfield (外野席) is where the most organised cheering happens: fans sing team songs (応援歌) for each batter, led by a cheering group (応援団), and wave towels or bang plastic bats. The infield (内野席) is calmer. Useful words: 打者 (batter), 投手 (pitcher), ホームラン, 三振 (strikeout), 回 (innings, as in 7回). Beer sellers (売り子) walk the stands with kegs on their backs: すみません、一杯ください.

Sumo (大相撲)

There are six grand tournaments (本場所) a year, each lasting 15 days: three in Tokyo (January, May and September) and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). Seats are either 升席 (floor boxes where you sit on cushions, often for several people) or 椅子席 (chairs). The lower divisions wrestle from the morning and the top division (幕内) in the late afternoon. Useful words: 力士 (wrestler), 横綱 (grand champion), 取組 (bout), 土俵 (ring), 勝ち / 負け (win / loss).

Football and other sports

J.League football has passionate supporters’ sections with songs and flags, and rugby, basketball and volleyball also draw big crowds. Supporters’ areas can have their own rules, such as which colours to wear, so check the club’s guide for away fans.

Cheering and chatting with fans

  • 頑張れ! (Go for it!) and 行け! (Go!)
  • ナイス! (Nice!) after a good play
  • どこのファンですか (Which team do you support?)
  • 初めて来ました (It’s my first time here). Fans are often happy to explain the songs.

Planning a trip? See learning Japanese before a trip and Japanese for trains and getting around.

Practise before the game

A few phrases turn a game into a conversation with the fans around you. Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one online, in English, and can help you prepare for tickets, the stadium and small talk. Your first 15 minutes are a free trial.