Baseball

Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース). 阪神タイガース The Orix Buffaloes are the local team, but it is the Hanshin Tigers from Nishinomiya, between Kobe and Osaka, that prompt excited fans to jump into the Dotombori River. The Tigers are based in historic Koshien Stadium near Kobe, but they play at the Saka Dome (Kyocera Domu Osaka) for the season opener and during the month of August. The Osaka Dome looks like a spaceship and has pleasing-to-the-eye curved edges in a city dominated by gray cubes. Tickets cost as little as ¥1,600. Buy them at the gate, at Lawson convenience stores, or by telephone from Ticket Pia. The dome is next to Osaka Domu-mae Chiyozaki subway station on the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line. 1-8-2 Koshien-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo-ken, 663-8152. 06/6586–0106.