There are eleven pro ballparks in Japan and not a Wrigley Field, Fenway Park or Camden Yards among them. Take one look at any Japanese ballpark, and you'll notice some pretty hefty differences between them and the ones in North America.

Plastic grass: Only three of Japan's eleven ballparks still have natural grass. What's wrong with plastic carpet? Aside from being as aesthetically pleasing as polyester, under-padded turf contributes to injures. In 1995, Masumi Kuwata injured his elbow diving for a infield pop fly and spent two seasons sidelined. Astroturf also reflects more heat, making ballparks hotter than those with natural grass.

Even those ballparks with lawn (Hiroshima, Koshien, and Green Stadium) have all-dirt infields. To prevent dust clouds on windy days, field crews often spray the infield with water.

Large foul territory: Most Japanese ballparks resemble Oakland Coliseum with its huge foul territory. Fans are kept far away from the action and foul outs are very common. Chiba Marine Stadium is probably the worst offender while Hiroshima Stadium features the smallest foul territory.

Dome-ing down Japan: In 1989, the Fighters and Giants moved into the Tokyo Dome. In the years since, three other teams (Hawks, Buffaloes and Dragons) have all moved indoors and the Lions are scheduled to put a lid on their outdoor amphitheater. Some argue that Japan's rainy seasons make domes a necessity. Others point toward the Japanese proclivity toward controlled environments (nature would be a lot more fun if it wasn't so disorganized) for the popularity of domes.

Small dimensions: Actually, this is less noticeable today. Only one PL ballpark (Lions Stadium) can be considered undersized. Two CL ballparks (Jingu and Hiroshima) are small while two others are borderline (Yokohama and Koshien). But Yokohama has huge walls (16 feet) encircling the outfield) and while Koshien may be short along the foul lines and in straight-away center, it's power alleys are deeper than most major league parks.

In fact seven of Japan's twelve team play home games in parks that have Major League dimensions, and three of those are a pain to hit home runs in. The Fukuoka dome is big enough to begin with, but those outfield fences reach eighteen feet high. The Nagoya Dome is almost as big, and its walls stand about sixteen feet. Chiba Marine Stadium is the smallest (barely) of the three. While its fences are only thirteen feet, there's usually a strong gust of wind blowing over the outfield wall toward home plate. All of these places are tough to hit home runs in.

High chain-link fences: At every ballpark, tall wire fences separate fans from the field. Ideally, they keep drunk fans from climbing onto the field during a game, though some inebriated spectators still manage to scale the obstacles. But the fences also mar what would otherwise be a good view. Ironically, some of the best seats lie fifty or more rows from the field, high enough so fans can see over the fences.

BYOB: Fortunately most Japanese parks allow spectators to bring their own beverages and food. Since ballpark prices tend to be steep, this policy allows fans to save money. Generally most venues prefer that fans not bring glass bottles and aluminum cans since drunk fans have been known to throw both on the field. Backpacks and other bags, however, are usually searched with the least possible effort.

Fans can keep home runs but not fouls: Slowly this rule appears to be changing. At all ballparks, fans can keep home run balls, but at some stadiums (Yokohama and Tokyo Dome for example) fans must return fouls while at others (Jingu) they may be kept.

Ticket Prices: It all depends on the venue. Dome seats are usually the most expensive (about double the cost of a game in North America) while Jingu, Hiroshima and Chiba Marine Stadiums are generally the cheapest. Tickets to see the Giants usually sell out quickly, and most Central League teams slightly boost their admission fees for games against Yomiuri (the Carp and Dragons don't).