Shinjuku Batting Center — Attraction in Tokyo

This is where Jake came to bat a few balls in Tokyo Vice Season 1 Ep3. I got addicted to this pursuit and was here every day, sometimes twice a day, once I got good at it. With no baseball experience, I found it difficult at the start, but when I changed my technique to divert my eyes away from the incoming ball at the last millisecond and towards the area my bat will make expected contact, I started getting great connection with the ball and knocking it far. Here there are cages with different speeds ranging from 80 - 130 km/h. There is no English spoke here at this vintage type batting centre, but it's easy when you get used to the system. You use a machine to change your paper notes into 100 yen coins. It costs 300 yen for 25 balls, that you insert into a box behind the cage door, near where you stand to bat. It is expected that you only play the 25 balls and then exit to let others play if there is somebody waiting. It can get really busy at weekend nights after groups have had a lot of drinks and come here for the laugh. I used to come here in the morning before my breakfast (it was close to my hotel), or else in the middle of the night if I can't sleep, and you could get a few rounds in. There are also many arcade type games here in front of the cages. I really wish they had something like this at home,...

Had a real fun time here. I know this sounds stupid but I only knew about this place because of Ryu Go Gotoku (aka Yakuza videogame series in NA). Was glad to see the Majima vending machine outside, felt like a "Majima Everywhere" moment. The prices are fantastic and it's really cool you can just walk in and start batting with the provided equipment, it all feels like safe fun (in America the batting cages are quite dangerous). It was pretty packed and hard to get a cage as the night went on, but that's not their fault and I'm glad business is good. Something that I wasn't expecting and I loved was the pitching cage, where you can test your pitching skills, so much fun, I think I threw my arm out lol. Stop by and give it a try, just glad I could cross this off my Completion list and feel like Kiryu...

Whilst it might not be the newest batting facility in Tokyo the Shinjuku Baseball Batting Center is everything you could need to have a go at hitting a few balls for fun. It's affordable at 300 yen for approx 25 balls, there are bats of various lengths and different ball speeds offered depending on your preference. I also believe there is a premium bat rental on offer if you'd rather use something the major league players would use.

I was a total newbie at baseball upon stepping into the batting cage for the first time (baseball isn't a top tier sport in Australia) but by the end of my initial 25 balls, I was hitting the ball consistently.

Tip: If you want to take photos of friends having a hit, there is a little space between individual batting cage door and net for you to stand and...