Testing ground: Startups use Hokkaido ballpark complex to try out products

Startups

Companies hoping for hits head to home of Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball club

Startups from around the globe are testing their technologies and services at an entertainment complex that is centered on the home field of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball club. (Photos by Sakura Hashikawa) 

SAKURA HASHIKAWA

November 22, 2025 10:01 JST

SAPPORO, Japan — Startups are turning to an unusual testing ground as they aim to hit big with products ranging from cooking robots to cash registers using artificial intelligence: an entertainment complex built surrounding a major baseball stadium in Japan’s main northern island.