Playoff Schedule?

While the where cannot yet be answered, the full post season schedule is as follows:

October
 8 (Mon) PL Stage 1 Game 1
 9 (Tue) PL Stage 1 Game 2
10 (Wed) PL Stage 1 Game 3

13 (Sat) PL Stage 2 Game 1
         CL Stage 1 Game 1
14 (Sun) PL Stage 2 Game 2
         CL Stage 1 Game 2
15 (Mon) PL Stage 2 Game 3
         CL Stage 1 Game 3
16 (Tue) PL Stage 2 Game 4

18 (Thu) PL Stage 2 Game 5
         CL Stage 2 Game 1
19 (Fri) CL Stage 2 Game 2
20 (Sat) CL Stage 2 Game 3
21 (Sun) CL Stage 2 Game 4
22 (Mon) CL Stage 2 Game 5

27 (Sat) Nippon Series (PL park)
28 (Sun) Nippon Series (PL park)

30 (Tue) Nippon Series (CL park)
31 (Wed) Nippon Series (CL park)

November
 1 (Thu) Nippon Series (CL park)

 3 (Sat) Nippon Series (PL park)
 4 (Sun) Nippon Series (PL park)

Here again the Central League is trying to pull a number on the Pacific League by playing games that count closer to the Nippon Series. They're doing this because the past few years, with the Pacific League doing their playoffs, the Central League representative was playing makeup games with and against mainly ni-gun replacements and looked very rusty in the Nippon Series. (If you hadn't yet read this week's Hot Corner, please do so. Although I don't get the point about the lack of importance about the pennant.)

The Climax Series locations are looking like Tokyo and Nagoya (although the order is still up in the air) in the Central League. Sapporo is looking to be hosting the Second Stage in the Pacific League, with Chiba and Fukuoka going neck and neck to the end for the First Stage hosts.

This may not be much to go on for planning an itinerary, but I hope you have a good travel.

I thought there were only 4 games in Stage 2 with the first place team needing 2 to win and the First Stage survivor needing 3.

Wow, after all the discussion on making the playoff format, it's amazing they still managed to come up with such a ridiculous schedule. It seems to take a bit of climax out of the Climax Series when the Pacific League finishes Round 1 before the Central even starts play. The Pacific League starts the season earlier (why?), so it makes sense that they will finish earlier, but you'd think they would have managed to find a way to start the Climax Series on or around the same date.

Both seasonal pennant races have now finished, so here's the revised Climax Series schedule (with locations):

October
 8 (Mon) PL Stage 1 Game 1 at Chiba Marine
 9 (Tue) PL Stage 1 Game 2      ''
10 (Wed) PL Stage 1 Game 3      ''

13 (Sat) PL Stage 2 Game 1 at Sapporo Dome
14 (Sun) PL Stage 2 Game 2      ''
15 (Mon) PL Stage 2 Game 3      ''
16 (Tue) PL Stage 2 Game 4      ''
18 (Thu) PL Stage 2 Game 5      ''

13 (Sat) CL Stage 1 Game 1 at Nagoya Dome
14 (Sun) CL Stage 1 Game 2      ''
15 (Mon) CL Stage 1 Game 3      ''

18 (Thu) CL Stage 2 Game 1 at Tokyo Dome
19 (Fri) CL Stage 2 Game 2      ''
20 (Sat) CL Stage 2 Game 3      ''
21 (Sun) CL Stage 2 Game 4      ''
22 (Mon) CL Stage 2 Game 5      ''

Can this schedule be correct? I think that the dates are wrong: today is Wednesday, October 13, and the schedule calls for a playoff game on Saturday, October 13. I am traveling to Japan this Saturday, October 16, and I would like to know when and where the games will be played. Thanks.

Look at the date of the post. That was the schedule for October of 2007!

You can get the upcoming 2010 post season schedule from the official NPB page here (in English).

Hope this helps.

It was interesting looking at this old post, considering how strange the playoff schedule still is several years later. We still have the same situation where the PL champion will be decided tonight and the CL stage 2 hasn't even begun yet.

Maybe I'm making the mistake of looking for logic here, but is there any particular reason why this is done? For example, an attempt to give equal attention to both leagues by not playing on the same days?

I know the PL starts their season earlier, but it just still seems strange to me that there will again be the situation of the PL team waiting around so long for the CL series to finish.