BALL PARK STORE
If you are a professional baseball fan, “BALL PARK STORE” is the shop you cannot miss. This shop is located by the 21st gate in the outside area of Tokyo Dome. Under the concept of “For All Baseball Fans,” they carry goods from all 12 teams.
One of the characteristics of the “BALL PARK STORE” is its change of items depending on event of the day. The window display is also changed to go with event of the day. Especially for the games sponsored by SoftBank, Lotte and Seibu, almost half of the items are changed.
The wide range of memorial goods is the characteristic of “BALL PARK STORE,” too. Shop Manager, Hiroki Kawashima says, “There are many memorial goods from the first home run to farewell of famous players among all teams.”
Around this time of the year, they recommend the items of players who newly joined team. Between Pre-season games and opening games of regular season, an event, “Tokyo Dome City GIANTS Opening Festival” is held and they have limited items like towels, scarf towels, T-shirts and memorial balls. Any baseball fan cannot miss it.
Besides all those pro-baseball team goods, they also have sections of the national baseball team and a MLB player, Shohei Ohtani to fulfill any baseball fan’s demand.
3000 to 4000 fans visit this popular shop on a day of regular game. The long line of fans buying goods has become a seasonal tradition. Mr. Kawashima says, “The shop is most crowded for a couple of hours before the game starts. So, if you come earlier than that, you can enjoy shopping.”
How about this plan? When you watch a game at Tokyo Dome, you come to Tokyo Dome City a little earlier and buy favorite goods at the “BALL PARK STORE.” And also, you spend the time at “The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum” by the stadium to get familiar with the history of baseball until the game starts.
Mar 2019 Text: Ryoko Kuraishi Photo: Yasuo Yamaguchi