Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Thumbnail: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks insignia.png By: Torsodog (in public domain)

Fukuoka SoftBank Wins Pacific, Earns Climax Series Berth

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks clinched their second straight Pacific League title in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) on Saturday, September 27, with 4-1 a win over the Saitama Seibu Lions at the Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.

Under third-year manager Hiroki Kokubo, the SoftBank Hawks (82-51-4) secured a Postseason spot and a precious Climax Series round bye after the victory against the Saitama Seibu Lions. The game was tied 1-1 headed into the 5th before the visitors scored 3 runs in the top of the frame.

Yuki Yanigita, Tatsuru Yanagimachi, and Hotaka Yamakawa all had two hits for the winner, and starter Kohei Arihara (7.0 IP, 5 Hits, ER, 7 Ks) was very effective, with relievers Koya Fujii and Kazuki Sugiyama each going an inning and allowing no runs and no hits.

This is the franchise’s 21st pennant.

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The 2025 NPB Regular Season comes to an end on October 2, 2025. Teruaki Satō and Hanshin (84-53-4) won the Central League in the NPB Regular Season, and like Fukuoka, the Tigers will get a first-round Bye before hosting the Central League Climax Series.

In the NPB, the second- and third-place teams in each league meet in the opening round of the Climax Series in a best-of-3 showdown at the second-place team’s stadium in the Final Stage, with the winners facing the Regular Season pennant winners.

Fukuoka has been the best team in NPB over the last decade, with the SoftBank Hawks winning six of the last 11 Japan Championship Series (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), including four straight and an impressive six of seven NPB seasons.

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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Stars This NPB Regular Season

Fukuoka is the oddsmaker’s second favorite (+170, bet $100 to win $170) to win the 2025 Japan Series, and the SoftBank Hawks will be a tough out in October with a Climax Series round Bye and Homefield Advantage in the best-of-6 Pacific League Final Stage.

This team has excelled at the plate, in the field, and on the mound, with many Fukuoka players with sensational statistics at the 2025 Regular Season’s end. On offense, the Hawks have been led by star OF **Kensuke Kondoh** (.300/10/40), Taisei Makihara (.300/5/49), Riku Watanabe (.300/10/40), slugger Hotaka Yamakawa (.223/21/56), and Tatsuru Yanagimachi (.290/17/45).

The SoftBank Hawks have also gotten solid support from infielder Ukyo Shuto (.285/13/36). Isami Nomura (.267/12/39), and Ryoya Kurihara (.269/7/33), and the talented Yuki Yanagita (.250/2/7)—”the Japanese Mike Trout”—have rejoined the first team after recovering from a right tibia contusion. This roster is loaded.

The starting pitching for Fukuoka (NPB-best 12-5-1 Interleague) has also been solid, with starters Tomohisa Ohzeki (13-5, 1.66 ERA), Naoyuki Uwasawa (12-6, 2.78 ERA), Cuban Liván Moinelo (12-3, 1.46 ERA) and former Texas Rangers righty Kohei Arihara (12-9, 3.22 ERA) leading the way on the bump for the repeat Pacific League champions.

The SoftBank Hawks’ set-up bullpen has also been stellar, with Yuki Matsumoto (39 Holds) and Kouya Fujii (18 Holds), as have Fukuoka closers Mexican Roberto Osuna (8 Saves, 1.69 ERA), and Kazuki Sugiyama (3-4, 1.89 ERA, 29 Saves).

With production from Yamakawa, Makihara, Yanagimachi, Kondoh, Watanabe, Nomura, and Kurihara and Yanagita back and pitching from Moinelo, Ohzeki, Uwasawa, Arihara, and Sugiyama, expect Fukuoka to advance from the Final Stage to the 2025 Japan Series.

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Where to Get 2025 Climax Series, Japan Series Tickets

With the 2025 NPB Regular Season coming to a close, that means the Playoffs are here, with two teams from the Central League and two teams from the Pacific League beginning the two Climax Series First Stages between the 2nd- and 3rd-place finishers.

And those four teams will be the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (69-65-6) and the Yomiuri Giants (68-69-3) in the Central League and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (81-56-3) and the Orix Buffaloes (70-64-3) in the Pacific League.

The two Central and Pacific league Final stage winners will then collide in the best-of-7 2025 Japan Series to determine a Japan Championship Series champion and a “Nippon Ichi” (No. 1 in Japan, 日本一), which will see first pitch on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Whoever wins four games first is the champion, and ties are possible, so the NPB employs a 2-3-3-3 format. Central League winner Hanshin will have the Homefield Advantage (Games 1 and 2 and possibly 6 and 7) should the Tigers advance from their league.

You can find NPB tickets for both Climax Series and Final Stage series, as well as for the upcoming Japan Series—the equivalent of the MLB World Series—here at TicketX.

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2025 Japan Championship (Nippon) Series Schedule

⚾Game 1—Saturday, October 25, 2025 (at CL winners)

⚾Game 2—Sunday, October 26, 2025 (at CL winners)

⚾Game 3—Tuesday, October 28, 2025 (at PL winners)

⚾Game 4—Wednesday, October 29, 2025 (at PL winners)

⚾Game 5—Thursday, October 30, 2025 (at PL winners)

⚾Game 6—Saturday, November 1, 2025 (at CL winners)

⚾Game 7—Sunday, November 2, 2025 (at CL winners)

Where to Watch the 2025 Japan Championship Series

In Japan, TV viewers can watch the Japan Series on the live streaming service DAZN Japan, with some games available on the Nippon Television Network (NTV), Fuji TV, and Pacific League TV.

For NPB living outside of Japan who want to watch the NPB Japan Championship Series, you can use a VPN to access streaming services like team-specific YouTube channels or ABEMA-TV. You can also catch NPB highlights on the Japan Ball website.

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Last 11 Japan Championship Series Winners

These Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have won six of the last 11 Japan Championship Series representing the Pacific League, with a new champion to potentially be crowned when the 2025 Japan Series begins with Game 1 on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

The Pacific Division has won eight of the last 11 NPB championships, but the Central League has won three of the last four years, with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars becoming the league’s second straight Nippon Ichi.

• 2024—Yokohama DeNA BayStars (CL)

• 2023—Hanshin Tigers (CL)

• 2022—Orix Buffaloes (PL)

• 2021—Tokyo Yakult Swallows (CL)

• 2020—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2019—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2018—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2017—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2016—Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (PL)

• 2015—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2014—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

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2025 NPB Championship Series Winner Odds

Hanshin Tigers +140

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks +170

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters +550

Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars +800

Orix Buffaloes +1100

Yomiuri Giants +1600

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles +50000

About the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks play in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball and are based in the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. They were founded in 1938 as the Nankai Club (1938-1944), becoming the first team to play in Osaka proper.

The franchise has also been called the Kinki Nippon Club (1944-1945), the Kinki Great Ring, the Nankai Hawks (1947-1988), and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1989-2004).

The club is owned by Masayoshi Son and Yoshimitsu Goto, and the President is legendary Japanese player Sadaharu Oh. The team has a strong connection to the Kyushu region. Fukuoka was once owned by the Nankai Electric Railway Company (1938-1988).

Fukuoka has the second most wins in Japanese sports history, only trailing Oh’s Yomiuri Giants, who have the most NPB titles with 22. Despite all this success, the team suffered through a 35-year title drought (1964-1999) despite the franchise relocating to Fukuoka.

The Taka (鷹, hawk) have 11 Japanese Series championships (1959, 1964, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and two JBL championships (1946, 1948).

With the league title wrapped up this past weekend, Fukuoka has now won a record 21 Pacific League pennants (1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024, 2025).

The Hawks call Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture home, and they play in the ¥76 billion Mizuho PayPay Dome FUKUOKA (2-2-2 Jigyōhama)—aka the Fukuoka Dome (FieldTurf)—and Fukuoka’s mascot is Harry Hawk and the Hawk family.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Major League Baseball (MLB)

There have been many former Fukuoka SoftBank Tigers who have played in Major League Baseball (MLB) through the years, including one on the current Postseason-bound First team roster in RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa (Boston Red Sox), and one on the Second team in INF Jeter Downs (Boston Red Sox).

Former SoftBank Hawks who played in MLB include legendary reliever Goose Gossage (Chicago White Sox), Kenji Johjima (Seattle Mariners), Takaishi Sato (Dodgers, Red Sox), Tsuyoshi Wada (Chicago Cubs), Wladimir Balentien (Reds, Mariners), Hideki Okajima (Red Sox), and Akinori Iwamura (Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays).

Where to Find Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Tickets

You can find NPB tickets, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Tickets, and other sports tickets here at TicketX on the second-hand market with an industry-low flat fee of 20% for buyers and absolutely no commission fees for sellers. All sales on TicketX are backed by our 100% Buyer Guarantee—meaning verified tickets that get you in without worry, and should games be postponed or rescheduled, we will issue a full refund.

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