The 2026 season is just around the corner. A month and a half has already passed since the start of spring training, when the new system officially began.

In February, under the guidance of manager Saburo Chiba Lotte Marines players trained at Miyakonojo Sports Park ball park in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture. In 2025, it will become the spring training site for Chiba Lotte Marines 's minor league team, and this year it will be the primary training site for the first team and the secondary training site for the minor league team. It has also earned the nickname "Koala's March Stadium," and on busy days, it was bustling with approximately 6,000 spectators.

The stadium was the site of The Giants' training camp from the 1960s to the 1970s, but since then, it has only hosted the Miyazaki Phoenix League. So, how did they manage to bring the camp back after approximately 50 years? And what are their thoughts now that the second year of the Miyakonojo camp has concluded? We spoke with Mayor Yoshinaga Ikeda to find out.

◇ ◇ ◇

Koala's March Stadium, completed in 1962, has undergone numerous repairs due to aging, and a large-scale renovation was carried out over two years starting in 2018, including the installation of a scoreboard-integrated backstop and rubber wall in outfield. Furthermore, within Miyakonojo Sports Park, where Koala's March Stadium is located, development is progressing not only as a sports hub but also taking into account the park's geographical characteristics.

"Actually, the indoor arena, which has been named 'Pie no Mi Dome' since this year, was built as a disaster relief warehouse. Miyazaki Prefecture faces the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake. Miyakonojo is inland, so we were planning to develop it from the perspective of a rear-echelon support city. It will be used by local residents on a daily basis, and as a disaster relief warehouse in times of disaster. We announced the construction of the indoor arena in fiscal year 2022 as part of developing the entire sports park area as a disaster relief base."

This proved to be a major turning point. In the same year that the construction of the indoor arena was announced, six private organizations in the city submitted a request to attract professional baseball camps in order to make the most of the facility. For Miyakonojo City, which aims to revitalize the region through sports, this presented a golden opportunity.

"The movement to develop disaster prevention facilities, combined with requests from the private sector, led to the idea of making the facilities usable not only during disasters but also for professional baseball training camps. Furthermore, our successful relationship with Chiba Lotte Marines led to the implementation of their spring training camps starting last year."

It's not just the training environment! The unique charm of a "meat town"

In addition to the indoor arena "Pai no Mi Dome," pitch practice area "Coolish bullpen" and a sub-ground were also newly constructed and opened for use in January 2025. The facilities, including the aforementioned large-scale renovations, cost a total of 3 billion yen to construct, making them the ideal training grounds for the players. In addition to this excellent environment, Miyakonojo City has another attraction.

"Besides the facilities, we often hear people say that the food in Miyakonojo is delicious. This is thanks to the hard work of the hotel staff where the players are staying. I think they appreciate the soft aspects of the experience even more. Many people, including the team members and fans, stay for extended periods, so I think food is an important factor."

Miyakonojo City is a thriving livestock farming area, boasting the highest total production value of beef cattle, pigs, and chickens in Japan, earning it the nickname "the city of meat." The meals, which utilize local ingredients, must have captured the hearts (and stomachs) of the players. The first year of the Miyakonojo camp ended with a positive impression, but Mayor Ikeda apparently had no idea that the camp, which started with the minor league team, would immediately become the primary training camp location for the major league team the following year.

"Honestly, it exceeded my expectations. I was surprised by how quickly it happened, and I feel honored. First of all, I was very grateful when they decided to let us have a minor league camp. I told the person in charge, 'First, let's fully accept the minor league camp, and make sure everyone in the organization, including the players, likes the camp in Miyakonojo, and then let's give the team our full support, and hopefully it will eventually lead to a major league camp.' Even so, I never expected it to be a year from now, so it was a very pleasant surprise."

The first exhibition game in Miyakonojo in 14 years will be an event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the new city's founding.

This year, Chiba Lotte Marines Marines' first-team training camp was held from February 1st to 11th. After the second camp in Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture, the team held friendly matches against the Czech Republic national team for the World Baseball Classic ("GLOBAL FRIENDSHIP SERIES 2026") and the "2026 Miyazaki Baseball Games" at Koala's March Stadium. During that time, an estimated 49,000 fans attended the games.

Mayor Ikeda said, "I really felt the power of the first team's training camp, as it attracted a total of 19,000 visitors to the minor league camp held from February 1st to 24th last year." Consequently, spending on accommodation and meals also increased. "We have made regional revitalization through sports one of the pillars of our policy, and I believe it had a significant effect from that perspective as well," he said, acknowledging the positive impact on the local economy.

Furthermore, on February 28th, Miyakonojo City hosted an exhibition game between Chiba Lotte Marines and the Saitama Seibu Lions. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the city's founding, and the game was held as part of the commemorative events. Although there were concerns about the weather due to continuous rain until the day before, the day itself was blessed with beautiful sunny weather. Performances by the local brass band and dances by children were also showcased, and the entire community came together to liven up the venue.

After the game, a baseball experience event called "The Marines Kids Ballpark" was held, featuring seven players including local pitcher Koshiro Hiroike, with approximately 160 elementary school students participating. Mayor Ikeda smiled and said, "Many children were taught baseball by professional baseball players. I think it was a huge opportunity for the children. I hope this will lead to more professional baseball players coming from Miyakonojo in the future, and I think (holding the exhibition game) has also been a source of strength for the community."

Looking ahead to the third year of the Miyakonojo training camp

From the start of spring training to the holding of exhibition games, what are Mayor Ikeda's thoughts after a month that was even more fulfilling than last year?

"It was an honor to host the first-team training camp in Miyakonojo for the first time this year. We would like to communicate with the team management and take all necessary measures so that we can continue to host the first-team training camp in Miyakonojo in the years to come. Based on this year's experience and reflections, we will further improve our efforts so that not only the players but also the fans can enjoy themselves even more than this year and think, 'I want to go to Miyakonojo again.'"

He added, "I hope that Miyakonojo Sports Park will become an even more familiar place for the local community. As for ball park, we have now signed a naming rights agreement and given it the cute name 'Koala's March Stadium,' and we have received a very positive response, so I hope that people will feel even closer to it."

In the city, many elementary school students can be seen happily wearing caps with the "M" logo that were presented to them by the team. As Koala's March Stadium and Miyakonojo Sports Park become more beloved places in the community, Chiba Lotte Marines will also become a more familiar presence to the citizens of Miyakonojo.

Interview and text by Yuna Takahashi