How to get to and play at Ishigaki Central Athletic Park! Ishigaki Island resident staff will give you a thorough explanation!

Do you know Ishigaki Central Sports Park in Ishigaki Island?
If you are a baseball fan, you may know about it. It is known as the place where the Chiba Lotte Marines, a member of the Pacific League, holds their camp from February, and in 2014, the first open game between the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Orix Buffaloes was held on Ishigaki Island. Ishigaki Central Athletic Park has not only a baseball field, but also a main arena, sub-arena, martial arts hall, baseball field, swimming pool, track and field, and tennis courts of the general gymnasium, which are available for citizen use.
This article introduces Ishigaki Central Sports Park on Ishigaki Island.

 

 

 

What is Ishigaki Central Sports Park?

 

 

It is located in the center of Ishigaki City, only 2km from the port for easy access. The park has a track and field, baseball field, gymnasium, indoor practice field, 50m swimming pool, tennis courts, etc., and is open to the public. It is a local welfare facility used by adult teams and students on weekends and holidays. What made Ishigaki City Central Park famous is the winter camp of Chiba Lotte Marines. The first team camps for two weeks from the beginning of February, and the farm team stays for about a month. The Chiba Lotte Marines started the Okinawa camp in 2007. The city of Ishigaki started to invite Yuta Omine, a pitcher from Ishigaki Island, to the camp after the Lotte selected him in the first round. As a result, the facility has been extensively renovated to make it more accessible for the players. There is also a park inside the facility with playground equipment such as swings and slides, restrooms, and a pavilion, making it a perfect place for children to play in a relaxed atmosphere.

 

Directions to Ishigaki Central Athletic Park

 

 

■If you are accessing by car

From Ishigakijima Island Terminal, go north on Route 390. Drive on No. 87 from in front of Bunkan and turn right at the Kohamonbashi intersection (Okinawa Toyota Motor Yaeyama Branch is on the left) where it intersects with the Seed- line. One block ahead, you will arrive at Ishigaki Central Athletic Park. Arrival time is about 10 minutes.

From Ishigaki Airport, go south along Route 390. Turn right at Maesato-kita intersection and go west on the industrial road. Turn right at the four corners in front of Family Mart Ishigaki Heitoku store. It takes about 20 minutes to arrive.

 

■If accessed by bus

Please take Higashi Unyu Bus or Nikko Yaeyama ANA Intercontinental Line down from Ishigaki Bus Terminal. Get off at the Chuo Undo Koen Iriguchi bus stop. The arrival time is about 20 minutes.

From Ishigaki Airport, take Higashi Unyu Bus, Nikko Yaeyama ANA Intercontinental Route Up. Get off at the Chuo Undo Koen Iriguchi bus stop. Arrival time is about 40 minutes.

 

More information about Ishigaki Central Athletic Park

 

 

Ishigaki Central Sports Park has various facilities, one of which is a general gymnasium. The facility has a main arena and a sub-arena, a training room with various equipment, a martial arts hall, a training room, and an elevator for the disabled. The facility is designed to be barrier-free and accessible to all citizens. It is used for various sports competitions and cultural events, as a practice space for the island's school athletic teams, and as a recreational facility.

 

 

The main arena is the most utilized facility in Ishigaki Central Athletic Park. It has 2 basketball courts, 3 volleyball courts, 1 handball court, and 12 ping-pong tables. 850 spectator seats and 8 wheelchair seats are available on the second floor, making it easy to watch the games. It is often used as a venue for sporting events, and is also used as a facility for training camps.

 

 

There is a sub-arena as well as a main arena in the general gymnasium. Like the main arena, it is equipped with sports courts: one basketball court, three volleyball courts, four badminton courts, one handball court, and six table tennis tables. There is no spectator seating, so spectators cannot watch the games, but it is often used as a warm-up area before games or as a practice venue when the number of players is not large. There is also an outdoor swimming pool.

 

 

It is a 50-meter competition pool, 24 meters wide and 1.1 to 1.3 meters deep, with changing rooms with separate showers for men and women, and restrooms. For a fee, individual swimmers can practice swimming, and during the summer vacation, children from the island visit the facility to practice, and many adults visit the facility for training as it is available at a reasonable price.

 

 

It also has an athletic field. It covers an area of 29,000 square meters, with eight lanes of 400-meter track and stands for spectator seating. The main grandstand has a capacity of 2,700 spectators, and the side and back stands have a capacity of 11,000 spectators.
It is used as a venue for various athletic competitions and practices.

 

Other facilities include tennis courts. There are at least six artificial grass courts and a clubhouse with changing rooms with showers and restrooms for men and women. Fees for individual use are 200 yen per court per hour for children and students, and 400 yen per court per hour for university students and adults. This is a popular and well-liked facility because of its reasonable price.

 

The most famous facility of all is the baseball stadium. When the Chiba Lotte Marines were lured to the area, the baseball stadium was renovated at a cost of approximately 300 million yen, including the replacement of the soil, fences, and nets, and the addition of 99.5-meter wings and 122-meter center field. The stands can accommodate 8,000 people, while the side and outfield stands can accommodate 2,200 people in the infield and 5,800 people in the outfield to enjoy watching the games.

 

 

There is also a park called Takochu Park in Ishigaki Central Sports Park. There are various playground equipments such as a sandbox and swings, and it is popular among local children. The name "Takochu" comes from the octopus that used to be placed in this park. It is a great park for small children to play.

 

How to play at Ishigaki Central Athletic Park

 

 

Ishigaki Central Sports Park is not only a baseball stadium, but also a comprehensive gymnasium main arena, sub-arena, martial arts hall, baseball field, swimming pool, track and field, tennis court, park, and other multiple facilities for citizen use.

 

 

Anyone can use the facilities by paying an admission fee and a facility use fee. In particular, the pool and tennis facilities are reasonably priced and attract many users. The pool is 200 yen per hour and 100 yen for children and students, and tennis is 200 yen per hour and 100 yen for children and students to rent one court. If you want to swim or play tennis when you visit Ishigaki Island, please use them. Also, don't miss the Chiba Lotte Marines players' camp in February. It is a rare opportunity to see professional players practicing. The camp is also the most important for the following season. If you are a fan of the Chiba Lotte Marines, please go and watch the games.

 

 

summary

We introduced Ishigaki Central Sports Park. How was it?
Ishigaki Central Athletic Park is, after all, the camp site of Chiba Lotte Marines. If you are a Lotte fan, you should definitely visit there. The opening game is sometimes held there, so why don't you make time to go and watch the game? Ishigaki Central Athletic Park also has main arena, sub-arena, martial arts hall, baseball field, swimming pool, track & field, and tennis court of general gymnasium, which are actively used by citizens.
There is also a park with a variety of playground equipment, so small children can play there.
We recommend Ishigaki Central Athletic Park for the following points.

 

 

Please check the above and visit Ishigaki Central Athletic Park.
Thank you for reading to the end.