Seibu Dome
Encyclopedia
is the home field
of the Saitama Seibu Lions professional baseball
team located in Tokorozawa, Saitama
, Japan
.
The stadium has a roof over the field and the stands, like other indoor ballparks. However, it lacks a wall behind the stands so that natural air comes into the field. This makes it possible for home run
s to leave the stadium, something not possible in typical domed stadiums. The only other covered stadium with a permanent opening is Safeco Field
in Seattle
, Washington, United States
. Its opening is oriented along left and center field, making it possible for home runs to leave that park as well.
The stadium was built in 1979 without the roof and named as the new home field of the Lions that moved from Fukuoka
to Tokorozawa that year. The installation of the roof took place in two phases: the first phase after the 1997 season, and the second phase after the 1998 seasons. At the beginning of the 1998 season, the stadium was renamed Seibu Dome although the domed roof had not completed yet.
On March 1, 2005, the stadium was named as Invoice Inc.
bought the naming rights
of the stadium for the next two seasons.
Upon expiration of the previous contract, on January 1, 2007, the name was changed again to to reflect the sponsorship of Goodwill Group, Inc. The naming rights contract with Goodwill was effective for five years.
Although Seibu Dome is still the official name of the stadium, the stadium and media use the sponsored name almost exclusively. However, in the end of 2007, as both the stadium and minor team naming right of Goodwill were seized due to Goodwill's illegal business movements, the Dome's name was restored to Seibu Dome in 2008.
The stadium is located in front of Seibukyūjō-mae Station, the terminal station of the Seibu Sayama Line railway (a branch of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
connecting Tokorozawa with Tokyo
) and the Seibu Yamaguchi Line
people mover
. Both lines are operated by Seibu Railway
, the owner of the stadium and the Lions.
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
of the Saitama Seibu Lions professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team located in Tokorozawa, Saitama
Tokorozawa, Saitama
is a city in Saitama, Japan. It is located in the central part of the Musashino plain, about 30 km west of downtown Tokyo. Tokorozawa can be considered part of the greater Tokyo area; its proximity to the latter and lower housing costs make it a popular bedroom community.-Location:Tokorozawa...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The stadium has a roof over the field and the stands, like other indoor ballparks. However, it lacks a wall behind the stands so that natural air comes into the field. This makes it possible for home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s to leave the stadium, something not possible in typical domed stadiums. The only other covered stadium with a permanent opening is Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its opening is oriented along left and center field, making it possible for home runs to leave that park as well.
The stadium was built in 1979 without the roof and named as the new home field of the Lions that moved from Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
to Tokorozawa that year. The installation of the roof took place in two phases: the first phase after the 1997 season, and the second phase after the 1998 seasons. At the beginning of the 1998 season, the stadium was renamed Seibu Dome although the domed roof had not completed yet.
On March 1, 2005, the stadium was named as Invoice Inc.
Invoice (company)
, is a Japanese company. It provides consolidated invoicing for communication services to companies.During the 2005 and 2006 baseball seasons, Invoice owned the naming rights to the Seibu Dome, which was the home stadium of the Seibu Lions baseball team and named it Invoice Seibu Dome. The company...
bought the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
of the stadium for the next two seasons.
Upon expiration of the previous contract, on January 1, 2007, the name was changed again to to reflect the sponsorship of Goodwill Group, Inc. The naming rights contract with Goodwill was effective for five years.
Although Seibu Dome is still the official name of the stadium, the stadium and media use the sponsored name almost exclusively. However, in the end of 2007, as both the stadium and minor team naming right of Goodwill were seized due to Goodwill's illegal business movements, the Dome's name was restored to Seibu Dome in 2008.
The stadium is located in front of Seibukyūjō-mae Station, the terminal station of the Seibu Sayama Line railway (a branch of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Seibu Ikebukuro Line
The is a commuter railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally terminates at Agano Station.The Seibu Chichibu...
connecting Tokorozawa with Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
) and the Seibu Yamaguchi Line
Seibu Yamaguchi Line
The of Seibu Railway is a manually operated people mover that runs between in Higashimurayama, Tokyo and Seibu-Kyūjōmae Station in Tokorozawa, Saitama in Japan. The line has an official nickname Leo Liner, after 'Leo', the hero of Kimba the White Lion, who is also the mascot of Seibu Lions...
people mover
People mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
. Both lines are operated by Seibu Railway
Seibu Railway
is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbreviation of "west Musashi," referring to the historic name for this area...
, the owner of the stadium and the Lions.