Yes, it was easy to get tickets. I went to the stadium about 1.5 -2 hours before the game. There was already a pretty active crowd around.
Various ticket windows were open, some had lines, some didn't. The labeling above the windows was all in Japanese. I got in the longest line, assuming it was for same day sales. After ten minutes or so, I realized that the line was moving slowly, and one guy was up front at the window with a calendat talking to the agent, at which point I realized I might be in the advance ticket line.
I asked/mimed the people around me, no one spoke English, they then waved me to the left towards the lineless windows (around windows 7-10 maybe?), where I bought my ticket immediately.
Seating chart is here:
http://gethiroshima.com/carp-ticket-guide/The ticket lady showed me a map of the stadium, I pointed towards the good lower infield seats that would cost 4100 yen, she then made a "no, not available wave" and instead showed me an informal looking piece of paper that just said 2500, 1500, 1000, 500 yen with Japanese writing on it.
I pointed to 2500, she gave me a ticket. The ticket had some Japanese writing but no seat number on it. My thought was that the good seats were all sold out and I had bought a mid-range 2500 yen general admission seat somewhere in the outfield.
I walk in wander around towards the outfield, ask an usher where my seat is, and he gestures towards lower infield and says "infield"
I walk back to the infield area, show my ticket, the ushers wave me to sit wherever I want.
So I think what was happening is that because it's preseason, prices are reduced, and there are four tiers of general admission seats. 2500 yen lets you take any of basically the best seats in the house, lower level infield, right behind home plate, wherever. Then 1500, 1000, 500 yen you're probably in general admission in the upper levels, the bleachers, etc.
I'd say the stadium was half full, and that was on a Saturday afternoon, nice weather. Seats available in all sections. Crowd is very enthusiastic and it seems at least half were wearing Carp jerseys.
A few other tips. Some of the concession soft drink machines seem to serve only indecipherable Japanese soft drinks, so I went with beer. I later saw that some stands did have coca-cola.
Big souvenir stand selling Carp gear both right outside the entrance gates and also inside on the concourse level.
You can also buy advance tickets (I think at least one day in advance) at a place called "Carpio," an official Carp souvenir shop/ticket office in town. The stadium souvenir shops are bigger and have more hats and jerseys, the Carpio shop might have more cards/postcards of the players.
Carp have a big fat American first baseman named Brad Eldred and I think one other American and some Latin American players.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
