Tokyo, 09 March, /AJMEDIA/
The Nippon Ham Fighters’ new ballpark in Hokkaido, northern Japan, and its related facilities were unveiled to the media in early March ahead of their opening late in the month.
The Es Con Field Hokkaido stadium in Kitahiroshima, near Sapporo, has the Tower 11 building behind its left stand. The tower is named after the uniform number of the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and the San Diego Padres’ Yu Darvish, two major league stars who once represented the Japanese baseball club based in Hokkaido.
Tower 11 has various facilities such as a spa and a sauna. It also has 12 guest rooms including the Darvish & Ohtani Suite for up to about 150,000 yen ($1,100) a stay, with eight of the 12 rooms commanding a panoramic view of the field.
Among other facilities opened to the media are Soratoshiba, a craft beer brewing restaurant, and the Nanatsuboshi Yokocho alley, which offers a variety of food shops.
The ballpark features a retractable roof and a natural turf field with a capacity of about 35,000 spectators. It is set for a pre-opening on March 14 for the Fighters’ pre-season game with the Seibu Lions and a grand opening on March 30 for the season opener with the Rakuten Eagles.
