By Yunseo Park) Clouds of fans packed the ballpark this weekend for a home game of the SoftBank Hawks, a popular Japanese professional baseball team. But it’s not all about baseball. Besides baseball, a variety of other activities are attracting fans and tourists.
The game between SoftBank and the Chiba Lotte Marines took place on July 27 at the PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, home of SoftBank. The area in front of the stadium was packed with fans from the morning before the daytime game, and their foot traffic never stopped.
The PayPay Dome, the largest retractable dome stadium in Japan, drew over 40,000 spectators on the day. Many fans watched the game not only on the second floor, but also on the third floor.
Aside from the game, there are other baseball attractions that fans can enjoy. This is Fukuoka Boss Izo, an entertainment facility located next to the PayPal Dome. It opened in July 2020 and is widely known as a tourist attraction for travelers to Fukuoka.
Even in the off-season when baseball is not played, visitors can enjoy a variety of entertainment facilities, including extreme sports, exhibitions, and a VR game zone. Visitors can also experience baseball-related events such as the O Sadaharu Museum, Baseball Experience, and MLB Café.
SoftBank will invite a special guest to the ballpark on the 28th. Lee Dae-ho, the “Joseon No. 4” who helped SoftBank win back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Lee Dae-ho visited the PayPal Dome on April 27, a day before the club’s event, to greet SoftBank players and watch the game.
SoftBank invited Lee Dae-ho to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to maximize the publicity for Boss Izo. As many Korean tourists enjoy traveling in Fukuoka every year, the company is planning various business strategies. On this day, we were able to meet Korean tourists enjoying various activities at BOSS IZO. Before the first pitch on the 28th, Lee Dae-ho will visit Bos Izo to experience the events firsthand.
A SoftBank representative said, “We hope that many Korean tourists will visit Bos Izo, not just for the baseball game. We are selling ‘fun tickets’ exclusively for Koreans, and we are also preparing various special offers. We want to make the PayPal Dome and Boss Izo a favorite spot for Korean tourists, so that they can say, ‘I’m glad I came here, I like this place.
A dome stadium with a pleasant environment to enjoy baseball and a cultural complex that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages, not just baseball fans. This is perhaps the ideal direction that SSG Landers hopes to take with its plans to build the Cheongna Dome and Starfield Cheongna in 2027. The SoftBank team continues to create an exciting baseball culture. We can’t wait to see what SSG’s Cheongna project will look like. 먹튀검증