Meiji Jingu Stadium - Revisited

 Entrance 7, 2012

Earlier this year, I visited Meiji Jingu Stadium again. My first visit dated back in 2012. 8 years are not short, the home of Japanese professional baseball team Tokyo Yakult Swallows has been renovated several times.

Behind the plate, 2012

Opened in 1926, it is the second oldest baseball stadium in Japan, the oldest baseball stadium is Koshien stadium, which was opened in 1924. Jingu baseball stadium is not only for professional baseball, also college and high school baseball games are played here year by year. In 1934, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and several baseball legends, used to play in the Jingu stadium during the tour.

Behind the plate, 2012

Passionate about baseball, I like to visit stadiums when traveling, I mean, if there’s a baseball stadium in that city. For me, it’s always a good way to understand its baseball culture and community. Meiji Jingu stadium was not my top choice when I first traveled to Japan in 2012. I visited other stadiums before going to the Jingu stadium. However, it became one of my unforgettable memories in my life after seeing this stadium. It was off-season, I saw the staffs working hard to renew the stadium to prepare for the new season. I am enamored of its blue, yup, as a Dodger fan, I like the blue. When I realized the importance of the stadium and its rich history, I knew that I made a right choice to visit this stadium. And in 2012, I believed that I would visit again.

Staffs were preparing for the new season, 2020

Things change frequently and quickly, sometimes you can’t really do much. I was planning to come to Japan again, but it didn’t work out. 8 years have gone so fast. Even this time, there were still some troubles before I made the trip, flight tickets were forced to change twice.

Entrance 7, 2020

As last time, I stepped into the field and felt that baseball was coming back soon as everyone on the field worked hard to make the field perfect for the game. I was glad that I really came back again. It was also a great sunny day, but you never know that all baseball games around the world postponed. We can do nothing, but just wait. And hope to go to the stadium again soon.