Looking down at the sea of dark blue seats that frame one of Nippon Professional Baseball's smallest playing fields, one thing becomes clear: For the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, the ballpark, and the myriad experiences it offers those who take in a game, is their top commodity.
Yokohama Stadium, with its improved aesthetics and revamped amenities spearheaded by its main tenant, has become one of the city's places to be from spring to fall and sits at the heart of what the city and team hope will become a veritable sports mecca.
At the forefront of this ambitious initiative is Shingo Okamura, the president of the team and Yokohama Stadium Co., and, at 49, one of the brightest sports executives in the country.