Extra Innings Travel

🇰🇷 KBO Tour Days 5-7 ⚾️

On Friday, we made our way to Busan and started the day with a clam barbecue lunch overlooking Gwangalli Beach. After some free time by the ocean, we headed up to Hwangnyeongsan Observatory for an incredible panoramic view of the city.

Later, we visited Sajik Baseball Stadium for a matchup between the Lotte Giants and Hanwha Eagles. With former Dodgers pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu starting for Hanwha, our Dodgers fans were especially excited to see him pitch! Lotte also debuted its new Powerpuff Girls collaboration jerseys, adding another fun element to the ballpark experience.

The following day, we visited the Makgeolli Brewery Museum in Changwon, where we learned how to make Korea’s traditional rice wine, created our own bottles, and sampled several drinks produced at the brewery. We even saw a special NC Dinos makgeolli and an oak barrel being aged for good luck in the team’s pursuit of a future championship!

That evening, we headed to Changwon NC Park and watched the game from the barbecue section, grilling our own meat while enjoying the action. We also explored one of Korea’s newest ballparks, including its unique Starbucks overlooking the field.

Most importantly, we finally saw a home team win and learned a new local expression: “Jiginda!” (지긴다!), meaning “That’s awesome!” or “Killing it!”

On Sunday, we experienced a different side of Korea by visiting a local farm, where we picked potatoes, raspberries, cucumbers, and other fresh produce. We also stopped at a traditional Korean archery range and had the opportunity to learn more about the sport and try a practice setup ourselves.

We finished the day in the quiet seaside area of Haengam, enjoying beautiful ocean views and an incredible seafood dinner featuring sashimi, live octopus, and plenty of other fresh dishes.

With three memorable days of baseball, local food, traditional culture, and beautiful scenery, Segment 1 of our trip has officially came to an end!

🇰🇷 KBO Tour Days 3-4 ⚾️

On Wednesday, we traveled about three hours south to Gwangju and headed to KIA Champions Field for a matchup between the Lotte Giants and KIA Tigers. It was another great opportunity to experience the atmosphere and passionate cheering culture of Korea, and the Giants came away with an 8-3 win on the road.

The following morning, we visited May 18 Democracy Square and the Jeonil Building before traveling to Daegu. With Korea’s national election having taken place just the day before, we joked about moving from one of the country’s bluest cities politically to one of its reddest, which sparked some engaging conversations along the way.

After arriving in Daegu, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Woosung Restaurant, a great local baseball spot where KBO news and rumors traditionally spread quickly because of its popularity with players, front office staff, and other baseball personnel.

We also visited the site of the old Daegu Baseball Stadium, the former home of the Samsung Lions and the ballpark where legendary slugger Seung-yuop Lee became one of Korean baseball’s greatest stars.

Later, we headed to Samsung Lions Park for a matchup between the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions. Mark even appeared on the TV broadcast and made some news headlines, with the commentators mistaking him for a Dodgers scout!

The group also met some passionate Lions fans who taught us the chants, songs, and coordinated cheering that make KBO games so much fun. Unfortunately, they couldn’t pull out a win as the Dinos were victorious, 6-3.

🇰🇷 KBO Tour Days 1-2 ⚾️

With our Japan tour coming to an end, it’s time to kick off our annual Korean baseball adventure!

After arriving in Incheon and checking in at our gorgeous hotel, the group got things started with a tasty welcome dinner at Hanyang Restaurant. We played traditional games, tried on hanbok, got to know each other through introductions, and shared a great Korean meal featuring bulgogi and galbi-jjim!

On Tuesday, we headed out for a guided sightseeing day around Incheon, visiting the Incheon Urban History Museum and Open Port Street. We then enjoyed jajangmyeon for lunch and checked out the lively Sinpo International Market!

Then, it was time for our first KBO game of the trip as we headed to Incheon SSG Landers Field for a matchup between the Kiwoom Heroes and SSG Landers. The Landers entered with a 12-game losing streak and unfortunately couldn’t get over the hump this time either, losing by a 12-6 score line.

A great start to the trip, with plenty more baseball, food, and sightseeing still to come! 🔥

🇯🇵 NPB Tour Days 15-18 & Tokyo Tour Days 4-6 ⚾️

After an incredible stop in Hiroshima, it was time for the main tour group to head to Tokyo for the final stretch of the trip!

On Wednesday, we came together with the Tokyo segment guests and became one big group before heading straight to Tokyo Dome for a matchup between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yomiuri Giants. The Giants came away with a 5-1 win!

The next day, we spent the afternoon in Asakusa, exploring Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street before enjoying a fun sumo lunch show.

From there, we took a chartered bus to Meiji Jingu Stadium, where we had the honor of meeting esteemed author and historian Robert Whiting, whose book “You Gotta Have Wa” remains one of the definitive English-language works on Japanese baseball. He joined us on the bus and answered all our questions about Japanese baseball and Jingu Stadium. Sadly for the Swallows, the Saitama Seibu Lions got the better of them by a 6-0 scoreline.

On Friday, NPB journalist and professional guide Jim Allen led us on a Tokyo walking tour, including stops at Yasukuni Shrine, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, and Tokyo Dome City.

Afterwards, we made the trek out to ZOZO Marine Stadium for a matchup between the Hanshin Tigers and Chiba Lotte Marines. The energy between the two cheering sections was palpable, but the visitors came out on top, 1-0, thanks to eight scoreless innings by Sawamura Award frontrunner Haruto Takahashi.

Finally, on Saturday, we celebrated our JapanBall Hall of Fame members with a special brunch at Cafe Noodle Roje. We were so excited to see Jun and Koko again and congratulate to our newest members of the ‘See It All’ Hall of Fame: Ryan, Scott, and Michael!

Afterwards, we headed to Belluna Dome for the final game of the tour between the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and Saitama Seibu Lions. Chihiro Sumida of the Lions delivered a complete game shutout in an 8-0 win, giving us a great performance to close out the trip.

And that’s a wrap on this year’s tour! Thank you so much to everyone for joining us and following along!

🇯🇵 Tokyo Tours Days 1-3 ⚾️

Our Tokyo segment got the ball rolling with a welcome dinner and introductions over an excellent yakiniku meal on Monday night, before we headed out for a Kamakura day tour with veteran NPB journalist and professional guide Jim Allen on Tuesday morning.

We visited some of the area’s most famous historic sites, including Engaku-ji Temple, the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in, and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

We then made our way to Yokohama Stadium for the start of interleague play in NPB between the Orix Buffaloes and Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Unfortunately for the BayStars, they were shut down by Allen Kuri and lost 7-1.

On Wednesday, guests had a free day to explore Tokyo before the full tour and Segment 2 group arrived from Hiroshima to join us at Tokyo Dome for a marquee matchup between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yomiuri Giants! Mexican left-handed pitching prospect Alexander Armenta was making his NPB debut for SoftBank, but the Giants spoiled his day with a big 5-run third inning to secure the victory.

The trip is already halfway done but we have plenty of baseball left to see!

🇯🇵 NPB Tour Days 13-14 ⚾️

On Monday, we took the Shinkansen from Fukuoka to Hiroshima before heading straight out for a visit to beautiful Miyajima. We enjoyed some great views on the ferry ride, explored the island, and had time to check out famous sights like Itsukushima Shrine.

Afterwards, we got to experience the local powerboat races at Boat Race Miyajima! It was a fun, unique experience before heading back into Hiroshima for the evening.

Later that night, we enjoyed a hosted okonomiyaki dinner at OKOSTA, where everyone got to learn how to cook Hiroshima’s famous specialty dish. It’s always better when you make it yourself!

On Tuesday, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum with the Hiroshima Volunteer Guide Association. It was an incredibly meaningful experience as we learned more about the history of the city and visited sites including the Atomic Bomb Dome, Clock Tower of Peace, and Peace Memorial Park.

Then, it was time for baseball again as we headed to Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium for a matchup between the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Chiba Lotte Marines. It was a tight game in a pitcher’s duel between Hiroki Tokoda and Andre Jackson, but Lotte put up some late runs to take it, 3-1.

Next up, we’re heading back to Tokyo for the last leg of this amazing trip.