  Meiji Jingu Stadium rarely invites
comparison to Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, or
Camden Yards. Jingu is no architectural
masterpiece, nor does it have the flashy appeal
of newer arenas. The 48,000 seats are not as
roomy as you'll find in more modern ballparks,
and the artificial turf helps turn up the
temperature for summer games. The color scheme is
rather bland--royal blue seats bolted on pale
green concrete. No, Jingu is no trophy stadium. Unfortunately, the same drawbacks
appear at nearly every Japanese ballpark. Despite
the flaws, this unpretentious gem remains the
best place in Tokyo to see a game.
Opened
in 1926, Jingu Stadium is the oldest Tokyo pro
ballpark still in use. From the outside, the old
brickwork evokes vague images of Ebbets field and
unless you look closely beyond the
tree-lined sidewalks, you might not even notice
there's a stadium in the neighborhood.
Befitting
a field of it's age, Jingu Stadium has hosted
some of the greatest players who ever smacked
ball with bat. Even Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and
other American all-stars have played there. In a
land where old ballparks are routinely demolished
to make way for shiny domes with luxury boxes,
there is still a place you can go, close your
eyes, and imagine what took place years before
you ever heard of a sport called baseball.
Despite
wire fences that separate fans from the playing
field (which you'll find at all Japanese
Stadiums), when you open your eyes, you'll have a
good view of the field. With a simple layout, and
only a small grandstand behind home plate, there
are virtually no posts to block your view.
At
Jingu, fans are treated with far more respect
than they receive elsewhere. You can bring your
own food and drinks with you. And unlike many
other Japanese ballparks, if you catch a home run
or foul ball at Jingu Stadium, you can keep it.
With
outfield dimensions two to seven meters (seven to
twenty-five feet) shorter than major league
ballparks, you'll see a lot of balls sailing over
the Jingu Stadium fence. Standing 2.5 meters (9
feet) high, the outfield fence measures 91 meters
(298 ft.) from home plate, 112m (367 ft.), and
120m (394 ft.) to straight-away center field.
Although
written in Japanese, the Jingu scoreboard is by
far the best in Japan, if for no other reason
than it alone posts each players batting average
and home run total for the duration of every
game. Giving you what's important without relying
on a lot of technological gimmicks--that's the
quiet appeal of Meiji-Jingu Stadium.
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