Perhaps this is a sign of the times indicating the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, the once-almighty Kyojin team, does not have the overwhelming popularity it once had.
Over the years, fans have often asked this column how to get tickets to Giants home games, and it used to be you had to wait in line at Tokyo Dome or your local ticket office on the morning the tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. They would only let you buy two, and they were sold out by noon, so you had no chance to get back in line to purchase two more.
Now, a friend in the U.S. who will be visiting Tokyo next week asked me if I could get him four reserved seats to the Giants-Chunichi Dragons nighter at the Big Egg for Saturday, April 9. Tix for those games went on sale on Feb. 26, so I thought this might be a long shot, especially since he wants more than two.