 Koshien Stadium
Posted: December 20, 2007
OSAKA (AP) --The Hanshin Electric Railway Co. signed contracts Wednesday with Toshiba Corp. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd. granting them the naming rights to about 3,400 field seats to be constructed at Koshien Stadium, currently under renovation, in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. It is the first time naming rights have been offered at the stadium, which is the home of the Hanshin Tigers professional baseball team.
ADVERTISEMENT
The railway firm signed the five-year contracts from 2008 with the two firms, but has not announced the amount. The new field seats are an expansion of the original infield stands. About 1,000 seats in the central part of the area will be Toshiba seats, while 2,400 seats along first base and third base will be Mizuho Bank seats. Plates bearing the names of the two firms will be attached to the seat backs. The names of the firms will also appear on baseball tickets and on the stadium's Web site. Nobuhiro Ishikara, managing executive officer of Mizuho Bank, said at a press conference after the signing ceremony: "Koshien Stadium is a baseball sanctuary. It's a golden opportunity to boost the presence of our firm in the Kansai region." The railway company, however, will not sell the naming right of the stadium, as the name Koshien is widely known among baseball fans. Shinya Sakai, president of the railway firm, said the company would consider selling the naming rights in other projects, adding that it hopes the income from the recent contracts would help the firm construct a comfortable stadium. |
E-mail This Article to a Friend
Print This Article
Tell Us What You Think
