Overview
Spring training begins simultaneously on February 1st each year, with all 12 NPB teams conducting approximately 40 days of conditioning and game preparation, primarily in Okinawa and Miyazaki prefectures. Camps are split into first-team and farm-team groups, with intrasquad games and exhibition matches determining the opening-day roster and starting rotation. Teams maintain long-term agreements with host municipalities-for example, Yomiuri trains in Naha, Chunichi in Chatan, and Hiroshima in Nichinan. In Miyazaki, SoftBank and Seibu use facilities such as Ikime-no-Mori Sports Park. Fans can watch practice up close, and autograph sessions and community events generate an estimated economic impact of tens of billions of yen annually for host regions. The period also draws media attention for the debut of new foreign players and the progress of top draft picks.