The is a stadium

Stadium

A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

 in Sendai, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It is primarily used for baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 as the home field of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...

. It opened in 1950. In order to modernize the facility for the Golden Eagles' first season (2005), seating was reduced from approximately 28,600 to about 20,000, as more-spacious seating was installed. For the 2006 season, about 3,000 seats (including private boxes along the first-base side

First baseman

First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...

) were added, increasing capacity to about 23,000. An artificial surface

Artificial turf

Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...

 was installed before the 2005 season, replacing the grass outfield previously used.

From January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2010, the stadium's official name was the , and abbreviated as . The stadium was also formerly known as between 2005 and 2007.

Unlike most stadiums, the home team uses the dugout

Dugout (baseball)

In baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...

 along the third base line. Each team's bullpen

Bullpen

In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...

 is located beneath the stands behind the dugout areas, out of view of the spectators in the stadium; however, curtained windows outside allow passerby to watch the pitchers warming up.

Concession stands are located outside the stadium, and on the second and third levels in the area behind home plate.

The stadium hosted its first Japanese All-Star game between the Pacific League

Pacific League

The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...

 and Central League

Central League

The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...

 in 2007. They were hosting its secound Japanese All-Star game in 2011.

The stadium was heavily damaged by floods during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...

 on March 11.

Transportation

Miyagi Baseball Stadium is located near Miyaginohara Station

Miyaginohara Station

is a JR East railway station located inMiyagino-ku in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.-Surrounding area:*Miyagi Baseball Stadium*Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School Miyaginohara Campus-History:*January 1, 1926: Station begins operation....

 and Tsutsujigaoka Station

Tsutsujigaoka Station (Miyagi)

is a JR East railway stationlocated in Miyagino-ku in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.-History:*June 5, 1925: Station begins operation.*March 11, 2000: Station converted to underground.-Adjacent stations:...

 on the Senseki Line

Senseki Line

The is a rail line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company system, it runs from Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of Miyagi Prefecture, significantly the Matsushima area...

. Miyaginohara Station is nicknamed Baseball Station due to its proximity to the stadium.