New Japan Baseball Park Shows Placemaking by Eight

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' stadium creates baseball and leisure community

Hong Kong, 6 April, 2023 – The Nippon Ham Fighters, a professional baseball team based in Hokkaido, Japan, has inaugurated their new ballpark, ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO. Building on Eight’s destination brand strategy, ES CON FIELD aims to create a “sports community” around the stadium that engages partners, fans, and the community around baseball, nature, and wellbeing.

A ballpark is not only a stadium for sports. It includes restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, public spaces, and the community. Eight positioned the ballpark as a 365-day-a-year getaway from the everyday. Where people can enjoy the thrill of live sports, the energy of physical activity, the excitement of learning new things, and the satisfaction of being together in a place that has been blended seamlessly into the natural surroundings.

All of these elements come together at the Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, a planned development surrounding ES CON FIELD that encompasses a museum, hotels, a high street, residences, natural escapes, retail, children’s education, leisure activities, and an agricultural edutainment facility.

“We wanted to create a stadium that could be enjoyed by more people than just baseball fans,” said Ken Maezawa, General Manager of Fighters Sports & Entertainment. “By doing so, we believe we can help rejuvenate the area and create an exciting new destination that visitors and residents will enjoy.

“When developing large-scale placemaking projects such as the Hokkaido Ballpark, it is important to unify all parties with a compelling brand strategy,” said Chris Fjelddahl, Partner, Eight Partnership. “We are pleased to see our community-oriented strategy come to life at ES CON FIELD.

ES CON FIELD is a joint effort between the Fighters, NH Foods, and Dentsu Inc. The stadium, designed by HKS Architects and Obayashi Corporation features a spectacular retracting roof, only the second in Japan. It has a building area of approximately 50,000 sqm and a capacity of approximately 35,000 people. It stands within the 32-hectare F Village.