2018-11-18

Japan National Team vs. MLB six-game series draws 220,491 in attendance

The World Baseball Softball Confederation-sanctioned six-game series between Japan’s National Baseball Team and Major League Baseball (MLB) generated an overall attendance of 220,491 across Japan’s Tokyo Dome, Hiroshima Municipal Stadium and Nagoya Dome.
The Japan All-Star Series, which was played 9-15 November and won by the Samurai Japan National Team 5-1, attracted an average attendance of 36,749 per game, with Game 2 at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday, 10 November, registering a series high of 45,450.
The series also created a buzz on social media, producing high volumes of fan-engagement and trending on Twitter in Japan. WBSC’s coverage on Twitter alone generated 3.6 million impressions during the Japan vs. MLB series.
The Samurai Japan National Team roster featured players from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Japan’s top sports league and the second highest-attended pro sports league in the world, with MLB the most attended league in terms of annual attendance.
In 2013, NPB launched a cooperation with the Baseball Federation of Japan to play under and develop the “Samurai Japan” Nation Team brand.
The NPB-backed Japan National Team is 8-3 against MLB big leaguers and also won the last series in 2014.
Historically in 79 contests dating back to 1986, MLB has won 51 games, while Japan/NPB has won 28 times.