Thought I’d write up a few tips about going to a baseball game in Yokohama with a young kid. I know it’s super specific, but I thought it might be helpful for families thinking of including a baseball game in their itinerary! While some of these tips are specific to Yokohama Stadium, some may apply to other stadiums as well. I’d love to hear abut other very family-friendly stadiums!
We’ve gone to games at Yokohama Stadium (DeNA Baystars) several times with a 4-5 year old kid. I actually know very little about baseball, but I love going to games in Japan!
First of all, Yokohama Stadium is super family friendly. There’s a stroller check, momaro nursing “pods,” and changing pads in the women’s restroom (no idea about the men’s). Plus toilet stalls with baby chairs to keep them secure while mom uses the facilities. Lots of kids and toddlers attend the games, including plenty of infants in baby carriers. It’s very clean, safe, and comfortable. The fans are respectful, and the crowd management feels very safe.
There’s a great park area (jungle gym, sandbox, etc) just outside the stadium, and it’s easy to pop in and out during the game (reentry allowed until the 7th inning). You’ll see lots of parents with their kids out there during the game (we swap during the game when kid gets bored).
The food is great for kids! Standard french fries and karaage, but also shumai, gyoza, etc since it’s close to Chinatown and the area is known for it. My kid particularly loves mikangori— shaved ice with canned mikans on it. And FYI in addition to the standard “beer girls,” there are also girls selling Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream roaming the aisles; you can just flag them down from your seat!
Buy souvenirs before/during the game! If you want to, it’s super fun to get all the cheering gear to use during the game— mini bats to hit together to make noise, a towel with a favorite player (or mascot) to wave, etc. Almost everyone in the park wears some sort of team gear (hat, jersey, etc), it can be fun to hype them up with some gear before going into the park. My kid adores the Baystars mascot DB Starman and you’ll see tons of cute toys. We picked up a Sanrio collab toy this time around— Kuromi in Baystars gear!
Things to be aware of with kids:
Day games are HOT. Wear a hat, sunscreen, and stay hydrated. Bring a mini fan and neck cooler/towel if you can. Lots of parents take kids out on the backside of the stadium to chill in shade and snack during the game. Honestly we’ll probably switch to night games now that kid is a little older and can stay up later.
You can bring food and drink in— just no cans or bottles. However I find the food in the stadium reasonably priced, only find long lines during certain times, and there are vending machines everywhere. But definitely saw some families bringing in McDonalds!
Be sure to check the website to see if there’s any special event going on for that game. For example this weekend there’s a DJ/food truck event on the field after the game. My kid was so excited to be able to walk around on the field.
If your kid likes cheerleading, the cheerleaders have a website where you can see their performance schedule (before games, etc). It’s very popular with kids, and the girls are really nice when they do community events! We like to watch their performance outside the stadium before the game, then play a bit on the playground before finally heading into to watch the game.
If your family likes live sports, I’d really consider including a baseball game on your itinerary, it’s really a lot of fun, even if kid doesn’t have the patience to watch a whole game. 5 year old happily spent 4 hours or so watching the game, eating, checking out souvenirs, and playing in the park, etc. Yeah, as a parent I didn’t get to watch the whole game, but that was fine, it was a fun outing in any case.
by beginswithanx