[Celebration] Guide for Soccer Spectating Beginners [Nijisanji J1]

Hello, it's me.
This is the third year of our collaboration with Nijisanji, and finally, both the Kawasaki Frontale official staff and the supporters have put in the effort to start building excitement. So, with the hope that fans will come to the stadium this year, I have compiled the 'this and that' of spectating.
This is intended for those coming to Uvance Todoroki Stadium by Fujitsu (Todoroki Athletics Stadium/hereinafter referred to as Todoroki), but since some information is universal, I hope fans of other clubs will also find it useful. I think it can be read by those who aren't Nijisanji fans but want to go to a stadium for the first time as well.

The Kawasaki Frontale representative for the 2024 season is Kei Nagao. He loves soccer, and apparently, his father is a genuine, long-time Frontale supporter. My favorability for him has skyrocketed.

I have written this in quite some detail, but since I have divided it into sections, it should be fine if you just check the parts you need. So, let's get started!

1. Answering simple questions

If you want to know more about soccer, please checkWikipediaout.

Q. How many people play soccer?
A. 11 vs 11, with 7 players on the bench each, making a total of 18 players.
Q. What kind of sport is it, roughly?
A. It's a sport where you play two 45-minute halves for a total of 90 minutes, you can't use your hands except for the goalkeeper, and you kick the ball with your feet to put it into the opponent's goal.
If it's a 14:00 kickoff, the earliest you'll leave the stadium after watching the match is around 16:30, so it doesn't mean it ends in exactly 90 minutes.
Q. What are home & away?
A. Home means the home ground (home base), and away means the one that isn't home.
The benefits of playing a match at your own home ground—such as the pitch, the number of supporters, travel distance, and facilities—are very significant, so to keep things fair, playing matches at each other's home stadiums is called 'home & away'.
Since there are 20 clubs in J1, they play 38 matches in one season with a round-robin home & away format.
Q. Can I enjoy it even if I don't know the rules?
A. Probably yes (there are many people who come without knowing them).
Q. Aren't soccer supporters a bit scary?
A. There are a few people like that, so let's start by going to a safe area.
Q. Is it okay to go alone?
A. Totally fine (I basically go alone).
Q. Why are you collaborating with Rikuzentakata City, which seems unrelated at first glance?
A. It started when Frontale donated study drills for elementary schools, which they distribute in Kawasaki City, to an elementary school that had its study materials washed away during the Great East Japan Earthquake. Please watch the video when you have time for more details.

If you have any questions, I will add them, so please reply or comment ('ω')ノ
Soccer nerds are so exposed to soccer that they don't know what is generally not understood...

2. How do I get tickets?

Prerequisites

Limited to Kawasaki Frontale, out of a capacity of around 24,000, half are season tickets, and about half of the remainder are sold throughSupport Association(something like a fan club) pre-sales, so it's quite a scramble. If you definitely want to go, it's best to join the Support Association or get help from a friend who is a member.
The Support Association costs 3,500 yen per year, but for all you 16KBG members who want to grin after hearing rumors like'The number of Support Association members has increased a lot since Nagao-san became the representative! His influence is amazing!'please consider joining (fast talk).
Also, as I am a supporter with a strong collecting habit, I am always looking for information on Nagao-san's recommended goods and recommended visuals. If there is something good, I will consider purchasing it.

Preparation

I will proceed on the assumption that you are a member of the Support Association, but the flow is basically the same for the general public! Ticket purchase sites and systems depend on the club, but for Kawasaki Frontale, it is basically a QR ticket using the official J.League app. First, download the official J.League app and complete your member registration.
Here →https://www.jleague.jp/app/

1. Check the match schedule you want to attend
Check the convenient dates from the official J.League app orSchedule. It's also good to choose from the event information held on that day. For event information, check theAnnouncementson the official X or the official website.

2. Check the ticket release date for that match
Check from the app or the official website.https://www.frontale.co.jp/tickets/

3. Check the seats you want to take in advance
I definitely recommend reserved seats. For unreserved seats, there is first a lottery to organize the line for getting an unreserved seat. I don't know what I'm saying, but I don't know what I'm saying either. Anyway, it's best to avoid them. Only those who are used to it should go there.

*Recommended seats by purpose
Want to watch from the same angle as on TV → Main stand side
Want to watch at as affordable a price as possible → Back stand side
Want to watch without getting wet on rainy days → About the rows behind the halfway point on both the 1st and 2nd floors
Want to see the players up close → Pitch-side seats
Want to sing along while listening to the cheering voices up close → SG/Back S
Want to relax while eating stadium gourmet and drinking beer → Main SS (South side)
Want to watch with multiple people in seats with a table → Group seats/Pair seats/Pair seats with a table
Going to support the opposing team → Visitor seats

Seats in the front rows or on the north side that are eligible for season tickets (excluding pitch-side seats and seats with tables) are mostly filled by season ticket holders and are hard to get. You can check the view from the seats on the official website. By the way, the main stand is newer and nicer. There are also plenty of restrooms.

4. Mental Preparation
Tickets can be purchased via the official app or the official ticket site. Use a device with a good signal to get them. It is very common to find yourself on the day thinking, "Wait, which seat did I want?", "I'm not logged in when I try to buy!", or "The seat I wanted sold out while I was hesitating...". It is best to access the site the day before to check.

Time to head out

On the day of release
For Frontale, sales usually start at 10:00 AM. This information is also listed in the ticket sales details, so be sure to check it. If you display the ticket selection screen before the start time and refresh the page exactly at the start time, you should be able to access it in most cases. Don't forget to log in beforehand.

When you refresh after the time, a light blue circle will appear next to tickets that are in stock. An X means there are no tickets left. When you click on the ticket you want, a selection field will appear, so click "Select" for the ticket corresponding to your membership status (General for general users).

When you click "Select", a pop-up with options will appear. Press "Next" to proceed and acquire the tickets in order. By the way, if you are selecting specific seats, they might be taken while you are choosing, so if you aren't picky, it is more reliable to just select the number of tickets and get them.

When the ticket purchase is finished, the ticket will be displayed in the ticket list on your My Page. Also, since there are many places around the stadium where the signal is weak, the QR ticket image will also be sent to your registered email address. Make sure to save this as well. Recently, it seems you can also display it from the official J.League account if you link your LINE. How convenient.

3. Preparation for going

Since stadiums require a large space, they are often a bit far from major stations or have some distance from the station. There are often unexpected troubles like strong winds or no convenience stores nearby, so keep your preparations compact and thorough.

Things to bring

・Smartphone and mobile battery
Essential for QR tickets. It's common for your battery to die while watching the game, so it's safer to have a mobile battery.
・Wet wipes/tissues/handkerchief
You can wash your hands if you go to the restroom, but it's convenient to have something to wipe them with quickly! Keep them in your bag.
・Eco bag
Bags are usually charged for these days, so it's good to have a bag to quickly put things you've bought into.
・Trash bags (large/small)
It's convenient to have both a small trash bag to keep trash from the stadium together (you can buy cute ones at 100-yen shops) and a large trash bag to protect your luggage from liquids when you place it on the floor. The large trash bag is especially good for protecting you from the mishap of someone behind you spilling a drink, and it's also good for bundling your luggage on a rainy day. Depending on the size of your bag, a 35L to 45L bag with handles is recommended. On the way home, you can bundle your trash in that large bag and have it collected at the exit.
・Raincoat (for rainy days)
At the stadium, there is a rule against using umbrellas so they don't fly away and hurt people around you or the players. If you are in a seat where you might get wet, bring a raincoat. You can also buy compact ones at 100-yen shops.
・Pochette/sacoche, etc.
When you want to go shopping or to the restroom after sitting in your seat, or when you want to enjoy the event, it's very easy if both hands are free. It's best to use a backpack as your main bag and carry a pochette at the stadium so your hands are always free.
・Penlight (for night games)
For night games (kickoff around 7 PM), there is a performance where the lights go out when you enter. If you have a penlight, please bring it! We would be happy if you could light it up in light blue!
・Water bottle or plastic bottle case
Hydration is important. It's especially essential in the summer because it's hot. Note that, in principle, you cannot bring bottles/cans/large plastic bottles into the stadium. You will have to transfer them to paper cups at the entrance, so please avoid bringing them.
・Hat (on sunny days)
It's hot and bright during the day. It's more comfortable if you have one. Also, apply sunscreen.
・Cold weather gear (on cold days)
It's really cold on cold days, so I recommend putting a lap blanket in a compression bag or bringing gloves. And stick on some heat packs.

It might seem like a lot when written out, but I think it's surprisingly little when you line it all up. The key is to keep your luggage as compact as possible because it's hard to move around with a lot of stuff. Also, I would be even happier if you could put some Frontale goods in there...!

Attire

Think of your outfit as if you were going camping by a river.
It's windy, there are many stairs, you'll be walking, and it's crowded, so if you think of it as going to a place like that, everyone will naturally choose comfortable clothing. Something like that.

・Pants are better than skirts
On windy days, it can be quite gusty. Also, there are many stairs inside the stadium, so if you aren't used to it, long skirts might get caught.
Denim or soft pants are recommended, but if you are coming straight from work and must wear a skirt, a stretchy tight-fitting style might be okay...? Please be very careful when walking.
・Avoid wearing the opponent's colors
As long as the clothes are easy to move in and you don't mind them getting a little dirty, you don't necessarily need to wear a uniform or official merchandise, but please avoid the opponent's team colors. Even if you don't mean to, people will think you are a supporter of the other team. The main colors of the opponents are roughly as follows. J1 teams only for now.

Sapporo→ Red or red/black stripes/Kashima→ Dark red/Urawa→ Red (sometimes + black)/Kashiwa→ Yellow (sometimes + black)/FC Tokyo→ Blue and red/Tokyo V→ Green (closer to khaki)/Machida→ Blue/Kawasaki→ Light blue (sometimes + black)/Yokohama FM→ Tricolor/Shonan→ Green (light green)/Niigata→ Orange/Iwata→ Saxe blue/Nagoya→ Red and yellow/Kyoto→ Purple/G Osaka→ Blue and black/C Osaka→ Pink/Kobe→ Dark red (sometimes + black)/Hiroshima→ Purple/Fukuoka→ Navy (sometimes + light blue/Tosu→ Light blue and pink
※ While there are specific color designations and names for each, they are omitted here.

Basic colors like black, white, or gray are perfectly fine for casual wear. The rate of people wearing uniforms for Frontale is high, so you might feel a bit out of place, but it is perfectly fine to just wear your normal clothes.
・Sneakers
You will be moving around quite a bit, so sneakers are generally recommended. If you wear heels, thin ones might hurt someone in a crowded area, so at least go for a chunky type. Shoes without backs can slip off or cause you to trip, so even in summer, please wear sandals that have a back strap. Stadiums often have slippery areas, after all.

4. Let's go to the stadium!

It's finally time to head to the stadium. In soccer, the players arrive about an hour before kickoff to start warming up, so if you can watch from then, you'll get to see things that aren't usually broadcast, which is interesting.
There are many ways to enjoy it, so I hope you come many times and find your own way to enjoy it!

Transportation

For details, please check the Access page on the official website.

The nearest stations are Musashi-Kosugi Station, Musashi-Nakahara Station, and Shin-Maruko Station on the JR Nambu Line/Tokyu Toyoko Line.

・Bus
Although it is a paid service, direct buses run from the North Exit of Musashi-Kosugi Station starting 3 hours before kickoff (2 hours before on weekdays). There are also local buses, but the direct bus is better because it drops you off closer to the stadium and features announcements by the players.
It is generally 220–230 yen. You can use transportation IC cards, so it is a good idea to charge yours in advance.
・Walking
If you are walking, it takes 15 minutes from Musashi-Nakahara Station, 20 minutes from Musashi-Kosugi Station, and 18 minutes from Shin-Maruko Station. You should be able to get there with Google Maps, so please trust Google Maps and walk instead of following the supporters wearing uniforms walking in front of you. Those supporters might be going home, meeting up with friends, or heading to a nearby convenience store. If you are walking, please trust Google Maps (second time). You will get lost otherwise.
・Car
This is not highly recommended. Parking lots around the area are extremely crowded on match days. People coming for unreserved seating arrive early in the morning to park, so it seems there are almost no spots available near the stadium. Public transportation is safer.

Once you arrive at the stadium

Many people arrive early, so if you want to move around with plenty of time, arriving about 2 hours before kickoff will allow you to move at a relaxed pace. By the way, you can re-enter until 30 minutes before kickoff, so you can check your seat and then go buy what you want.

・Check the entrance
There is gate information for the stadium near the entrance. Gate numbers, locations, opening times, etc., are posted, so it is recommended to check them in advance so you don't have to panic at the last minute. Please check your ticket for your entrance gate.

・Check/participate in event information
Right in front of the stadium is "Fron Park," where there are event booths for the day and stadium gourmet food wagons.
Event information can be checked on the official top page announcements or the official X account, and on the day of the event, there are announcement boards near the exit of the gourmet zone. Some events require numbered tickets, so it is easier to participate if you check the information in advance.
This season, the 23rd round (7/14) is an event for women, which I personally recommend. The merchandise released is always cute. Also, the Rikuzentakata Land event, which happens twice a year, is highly recommended because you can enjoy delicious gourmet food from Rikuzentakata.

・Try the merchandise shop/gacha-gacha
There are merchandise shops inside and outside the stadium, as well as gacha-gacha machines containing original goods. You can hold up or spin a towel muffler during the match, which makes it more fun. There are also many goods featuring the official mascot, so I would be happy if you could find your favorite and take it home as a souvenir.

・Enjoy stadium gourmet
There are gourmet stalls at the stadium every time. Specialties include salt chanko, churrasco from Brazil Kitchen, bento boxes from Wako, and Mazetan from New Tantanmen Honpo. Sometimes there is special food for events as well. Everything is delicious, so please eat whatever you want. By the way, there are also many options inside the stadium.
Gourmet information is mostly written in the official match information, so please check it out.

・Try taking photos
Please take photos of the stadium, gourmet food, and events with your favorite acrylic stands or plushies, and post them with a tag! As both an official and a supporter, having you take photos and post them on social media makes us feel that you are participating, and it makes us want to do more things together! I would be happy if you could support us with positive energy.
Videos during the match are prohibited by the official rules, but photos are fine as long as you are considerate of those around you. Because the Fujiko F. Fujio Museum is located in Kawasaki City, there are many statues of related works around Todoroki. Please try to find them and take photos.

How to spend time before and after the match

・Walk around the stadium
You are free to walk around the stadium except for the visitor unreserved seating area. You can go buy the gourmet food you want to eat, check out the merchandise shop, or scout out where you want to sit next time. Please feel free to walk around. Moving between the main stand and the back stand is also fine!

・Watch the players warm up
Before the match, the players come out of the locker room and start warming up on the pitch. Seeing them train before the match is precious. It is fun to watch them leisurely while enjoying some gourmet food and wondering what kind of training they are doing.
During this time, supporters sing chants for the players (usually with original songs and just changed lyrics), and there are simple explanations of the basic rules of the match on the aurora vision, so there is a lot to learn if you listen.

・Enjoy the match
Even if you don't understand the rules, I think you can tell that they are skillful. As you watch, you will find players you think are "that player is skillful" or "that's amazing," so if you check their jersey number, you can look up player information later.
By the way, if you look at the "Too Long Question Collection," a Frontale specialty on the official player page, you can see their personality beyond basic information, so you might feel more attached to them!Thisis the page for this season's captain, Wakizaka. Please use it as a reference.
You can leave your seat to go to the restroom or buy drinks during the match, but since you never know when a goal will be scored in soccer until halftime or the end of the second half, I think it would be better to finish those things before the match so you don't miss anything!

It is totally fine if you don't understand the rules well. In fact, the rulebook (world standard) changes almost every year, so even supporters don't fully grasp it. lol
If you know that only the goalkeeper can use their hands, and that it is only within the square area marked by lines in front of the goal, you will probably understand the rest somehow. Most other things are just conventions, so I feel like you can learn them gradually.

After the match

・Buy souvenirs at the merchandise shop or food trucks open after the match
When the match is during the day, some food trucks may still be open after the match. It is also nice to enjoy the gourmet food you couldn't eat because you were full before the match.
There is anofficial shopin Musashi-Kosugi in addition to the stadium, so I think it is also good to stop by there.

・Return to the nearest station
The direct bus back leaves from a different place than where you arrived. There will be a line, so you should be able to tell if you get close, but you can board at a place that looks like a rotary next to the parking lot. If you don't know, please ask the staff nearby.
If you are walking, everyone is going to different places, so if you follow the supporters, you will get lost just like on the way there. In the past, there were no high-rise apartments, so there were no landmarks, and I heard stories of people following others, losing sight of them, getting lost, or ending up at the supporter's house. Now, you can somehow get there by using Google Maps (n-th time) and aiming for the high-rise apartments if you are in Musashi-Kosugi. Good landmarks.

・Enjoy gourmet food around the station
Musashi-Kosugi and Musashi-Nakahara have many gourmet spots. If you are a member of the supporters' association, there are shops that offer discounts, so please check them out.
I have summarized information about surrounding gourmet spots in another note before, so please use that as a reference too!

・Post your impressions of coming to the match
Many people have family members who already liked and watched soccer, or they became knowledgeable after researching it themselves because they were interested. Therefore, how to attract new people is a major challenge for every club.
I think this is a very good opportunity to hear the raw voices of people in the "never touched soccer before" demographic about what they enjoyed and what they had trouble with when they came to the stadium, and to put that to use.
It would be helpful if you could let us know both positive and negative feedback. Thank you!

5. Conclusion

I have written this at length, but it is mostly about the things I, being more worried and efficiency-obsessed than others, prepare in detail to spend the day comfortably. I think you will gradually be able to choose what works for you, so I would be happy if you could come many times!
As I mentioned in section 1, I am always accepting questions, so please let me know in the replies or comments section.

Everyone, let's meet at Todoroki ('ω')ノ

6. Addendum

There's a match at the National Stadium

After publishing this note, I realized that "for Nijisanji fans, many of you might want to go to the Kobe match at the Japan National Stadium where collaboration goods will be sold...!?" so I am adding this in a hurry. Also, the ticket sale date for this match is 4/24 (Wed) at 10:00, which is tomorrow. Seriously?

It will be held at the National Stadium, but this game is treated as a Kobe home game. This is very difficult to explain, but in short, the National Stadium is like a sacred place for soccer, so it's like a project where they hold matches that seem like highlights at the National Stadium a few times a year! It's like, since we're doing it at the National Stadium, let's also do a Nijisanji event! Probably.

So, although Kawasaki Frontale is closer to the National Stadium than Kobe's players and supporters, it is an away game. Therefore, ticket sales will follow Vissel Kobe rules. It seems Rakuten Ticket is recommended, but you can also get them via J.League Ticket, so it might be easier to get them the same way you get Frontale tickets. The official page should be read thoroughly for peace of mind! It seems that if you get a Nijisanji seat, you can get priority access to goods, so I think it's a good idea to aim for that.

As for the seats, if you are going as a Frontale supporter, I think any seat labeled as visitor or mixed is fine, except for the "Visitor Seat (1st tier)". It's up to your wallet and mood. Basically, it's a stadium where the pitch is far away, so I think you can go with a light heart just to enjoy the atmosphere. The reason why the 1st tier is not recommended is that it's a seat where you stand, sing, and cheer for the entire 90 minutes. That would be too tough. By the way, if you are going as a Kobe supporter, I think you should avoid the "Supporters Seat (1st tier)" as it is also a seat where you stand and cheer. For those who are going for the goods of their favorite Liver and just want to enjoy the atmosphere, I think the Panorama Seats or the upper tier seats in the main or back stands are fine. They are far away, but the view is good.

Also, the National Stadium has a capacity of 60,000, so there are a lot of people. The way back is also quite something. There are many routes, so it might be good to check in advance. Oh, look, here is the National Stadium memo that Hazuki wrote 3 years ago.

There are several routes to the National Stadium written there, so take a look. There is also information on how it looks from the seats.

Personally, I would be even happier if you could enjoy the atmosphere at the National Stadium, then visit Todoroki, and feel the difference in atmosphere between home and away games. Both home and away are fun.

So, that was a very simple addendum.

※ Addendum to the addendum

This note was introduced on the official Kawasaki Frontale note! Whoa. I am too humbled, but it is a great honor. If there are people around you who want to watch a J.League match but don't know much about it, I would be happy if you could introduce this note as a reference! I am a heavy user of the official note because there is a lot of interesting content, such as being able to see practice scenes and the daily meals in the cafeteria.