It may not be the House that Ichiro Built, but Green Stadium Kobe is certainly the ballpark the superstar outfielder fills to capacity. Since his breakthrough 1994 season in which he hit .385 and broke the single-season record for hits, Ichiro Suzuki has drawn capacity crowds to his home ballpark and nearly every other Pacific League stadium.

Built in 1988, Green Stadium predates Ichiro by several years. Though Orix played several home games at the ballpark, it wasn't until 1991 that the BlueWave moved into the new stadium for good.

For several decades, the team had played at nearby Nishonomiya Stadium. But seeking a new image after buying the Braves from the Hankyu Railways, Orix renamed the franchise and moved the BlueWave to the new Major League-sized ball park.

Reaching 4 meters (13 feet) high, Green Stadium's outfield fence lies 99.1 meters (325 ft) from home plate along the foul lines, 117m (384 ft.) in the power alleys and 122m (400 ft.) to straight-away center. While the outfield is covered with natural grass, the infield remains all-dirt. Bullpens lie down down the foul lines.

Because of the large dimensions, the team's home run production fell off dramatically after entering their new ballpark. Their last year in Nishinomiya, Orix belted 186 round-trippers, but only 127 their first season in Green Stadium.

Part of a larger sports complex located at Sogo Undo Koen (park), Green Stadium seats 35,000 fans. The most modern of Japan's outdoor ballparks, the tree-ringed facility features an upper-deck "Sky Restaurant," in which fans can watch the action on the field while they dine. One of the more colorful baseball fields in Japan, Green Stadium's seats come in shades of red, blue, black and green.

While the seats directly behind home plate tend to be rather expensive, other tickets are cheap. Unlike most Japanese ballparks, Green Stadium offers ample parking for fans traveling by car. Those arriving by subway can get off at Sogo Undo Koen Station, a one minute walk from the ballpark.