Osaka Dome

Osaka Dome
Kyocera Dome Osaka (July 1, 2006-March 31, 2014)
Location	Nishi-ku, Osaka
Coordinates	34°40′9.48″N 135°28′33.97″E / 34.6693°N 135.4761028°E / 34.6693; 135.4761028Coordinates: 34°40′9.48″N 135°28′33.97″E / 34.6693°N 135.4761028°E / 34.6693; 135.4761028
Opened	March 1, 1997
Owner	Osaka City Dome Co., Ltd.
Architect	Nikken Sekkei, Ltd.
Capacity	36,477
Field dimensions	Left: 100.0 m Left-Center: 116.0 m Center: 122.0 m Right-Center: 116.0 m Right: 100.0 m
Tenants
Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes (Pacific League/NPB) (1997-2004) Orix Buffaloes (Pacific League/NPB) (2005, 2007-present) Osaka Gold Villicanes (KIBL) (2009-present) (2001 East Asian Games)

Osaka portal

Osaka Dome (大阪ドーム) is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Osaka Dome opening, the Buffaloes played their home games at Fujiidera Stadium. Hanshin Tigers also use the stadium as their "home field" for their season openers and their home games in August because their stadium, Koshien Stadium, is used for high school baseball tournaments during those periods.

Osaka Dome was the site of the debut of Eri Yoshida for the Kobe 9 Cruise in the opening game of the Kansai Independent Baseball League on March 26, 2009. Attendance for the game was 11,592.^[1]

On August 3, 2002, the Osaka Dome hosted the American Bowl pre-season NFL game between the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers.

Naming rights by Kyocera

As Kyocera Mita Corporation has been advertising at Osaka Dome since April 2003, Osaka City Dome Company Limited offered Kyocera naming rights of the domed stadium in January 2006. On March 2, 2006, Kyocera captured the naming rights of the domed stadium and it was scheduled to be named "Kyocera Dome Osaka (京セラドーム大阪)" on April 1. However, for the reorganization of the Dome Company, the contract entering was delayed and the naming was on July 1. The contract was for 5 years (until March 31, 2011).

Osaka City Dome Company Limited and Kyocera announced their entering into the second contract (from April 1, 2011 until March 31, 2014) together on January 11, 2011.

Access

• A short walk from Dome-mae Chiyozaki Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line and Dome-mae Station on the Hanshin Railway Hanshin Namba Line.
• A 7-minute walk from Taisho Station on the JR West Osaka Loop Line.
• A 9-minute walk from Kujo Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Chūō Line.

References

1. ^ Gonzalez, Alden (2009-03-27). "Female pitcher makes history in Japan: Side-arming knuckleballer notches strikeout in pro debut". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090327&content_id=4074856&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 

External links

• (Japanese) Official website
• Stadium picture