What’s next for the Hiroshima Carp
In clinching their first championship pennant in 25 long years, local heroes, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, threw the city into rapture, instigating a street party unlike any the city had seen before, followed by a celebratory shopping frenzy. However, somewhat bizzarely, the championship doesn’t guarantee that they will be representing the Central League in the final Japan Series held at the end of October. To have the chance to compete for Japan’s number one spot, the Carp still have to qualify via the Climax Series against one of the rivals they have already so handsomely beaten in the race to the pennant.
As champions, the odds are stacked in their favor. They go into the final series against the winners of a series between 2nd and 3rd place finishers with an automatic one game lead. Also, crucially perhaps, the whole final series will be played on home turf at Mazda Stadium.
The “Climax Series First Stage” playoffs between the 2nd and 3rd teams (most likely the Giants and DeNA or Yakut) will be played October 8-10 with the Carp playing the winners in the “Climax Series Final Stage” which is scheduled for October 12-17 (with October 18 and 19 set aside for make up games in case of bad weather). All the final series games start at 18:00 except games 5 and 6 on October 15 and 16 which they start at 13:30.
Tickets to the final series will be made available at the same time, 11am on September 23, at 7-11, Lawson and ticket outlets Eplus and Ticketopia all over the country. The only tickets available for sale at Mazda Stadium will be those for wheelchair users.
Ticket Prices
| Reserved Infield A | ¥3600 |
| Reserved Infield B | ¥3000 |
| Sky Seat | ¥3000 |
| Reserved Outfield | ¥2100 |
| Carp Performance B | ¥1900 |
| Visitor Performance B | ¥1900 |
| Non-Reserved Infield | High School and above ¥1700 |
| Non-Reserved Infield | Child ¥800 |
| Coca-cola Terrace (Group of 5) | ¥22,500 |
| Coca-cola Terrace (Group of 6) | ¥27,000 |
| Coca-cola Terrace (Group of 7) | ¥21,500 |
| Gate Bridge (Group of 6) | ¥21,000 |
| 7-11 Nesoberia Seat (Pair seat) | ¥7000 |
| Koi Sajiki (Group of 8) | ¥36,000 |
| Premium Terrace (Group of 8) | ¥36,000 |
| Cozy Terrace (Group of 7) | ¥28,000 |
The reasoning for all tickets being sold via convenience stores and ticket outlets is to give all Carp fans (including the many recent converts), wherever they may be based, equal opportunity to get to the games. But, with the tickets for the remaining regular season games exchanging hands for high prices, there are concerns that many local fans, here in Hiroshima, will find themselves unable to cheer on their beloved team in their own stadium.
Photo: @hiroshima_pref
