There’s a lot of cool shit to do in Japan, from getting slapped in the chops by hookers to eating raw chicken and of course visiting the shrines of war criminals. Well I am happy to say that watching football in Japan is another event I can tick on the has done list.
I did not though just watch just any old match, I went to see the mighty Gamba Osaka take on Pohang Steelers of bad Korea in the AFC Champions League 2.
Table of Contents
What the Gamba Osaka?
Founded in 1980 as Matsushita Electric before rebranding in the early J League years, Gamba Osaka are one of the more serious names in Japanese football. They were part of the original J League boom in the 1990s and have since won the J League title, domestic cups and even conquered Asia back in 2008 when they lifted the continental crown.
The name Gamba comes from the Italian word meaning to fight and also echoes the Japanese ganbaru, meaning to do your best. The vibe is big club without Premier League level delusion. Loyal hardcore support, proper ultras behind the goal, and enough silverware to justify a wee bit of pride.
Click to read about watching football in Cambodia.
The Panasonic Arena
Built in 2015, the Panasonic Stadium in Suita holds just under 40,000 and is properly modern without feeling like a corporate bowl. The stands are steep and tight to the pitch, meaning even from behind the goal you are close enough to smell the fear.
Getting there is classic Japan efficiency. Train to Banpaku Kinen Koen or Koen Higashiguchi, then follow the sea of blue shirts and the army of polite staff pointing you in the right direction. No chaos, no confusion, no blokes trying to flog you dodgy scarves.
What’s it like watching football in Japan?
As you’d expect from Japan the stadium was not just immaculate, but extremely well run with an excess of staff holding signs to guide you on pretty much everything. This included booths outside for information and indeed getting a ticket.
Ticket prices were refreshingly sane. Behind the goal you are looking at around 2,500 to 3,500 yen which is roughly 17 to 24 USD. Mid range sideline seats jump to about 4,000 to 6,000 yen, or 27 to 40 USD. If you want the padded seats and corporate comfort you can drop 8,000 to 10,000 yen, around 55 to 70 USD. For continental football that is hardly outrageous.
Alas I screwed up with my ticket going for the cheaper tame end rather than with the ultras, who shout, scream and wave flags throughout the match. Kudos to them for singing even louder when Gamba conceded. In this respect it felt more Brazil than England. My stand on the other hand was calmer, but I got a perfect view of the pitch from behind the goal.
Oh and did I mention they serve beer? As a Brit drinking a beer while watching football is a rare gift that we lap up. Draft beer was about 700 yen, just under 5 USD, poured by vendors carrying keg backpacks. At half time they even create a special smoking area. I do love the Japanese approach to a cheeky tab. Organised, controlled and not treated like a war crime.
So what is it like watching football in Japan? For me it ranks extremely highly compared to other countries I have tried. OK, so it is not exactly the Emirates, but hey it is also not Phnom Penh Crown.
What is the food like at football in Japan?
Japan is Japan so as you would expect the food was eclectic, weird, but overall bloody good. Outside the ground you have yakitori, karaage fried chicken, takoyaki balls drowning in sauce and mayo, and convenience stores everywhere. Inside you get a mix of football classics and Japanese staples.
Curry rice around 900 to 1,000 yen. Bento boxes about 1,200 yen. Hot dogs 600 to 800 yen. That is roughly 4 to 8 USD depending how hungry you are.
I personally went for sausage and chips loaded with cheese and chased it with a beer. About 1,200 yen all in, maybe 8 USD. Proper decent and well priced for a stadium feed.
And the match itself?
Gamba started off by far the superior side and entered half-time 2-0 up. The Koreans though got up in the faces after the break pulling one back and then controversially having an equalizer ruled out by VAR. Once again “VAR is great” so no one ever.
Perhaps not the best game ever, but it was absolutely decent enough and kept the fans entertained.
Overall a very positive first watching football in Japan experience. Next footie stop Dynamo Berlin.
Click to see my Japan Tours with Young Pioneer Tours.