NPB Games This Week, Oct. 26–Nov. 1, 2026: Japan Series Games to Watch

The NPB games to watch from October 26 through November 1 are all part of one championship matchup: the 2026 Japan Series between the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The official schedule places Game 3 in Fukuoka on Tuesday, October 27, followed by two more games there, then a return to Yokohama for Games 6 and 7 if the series requires them. NPB has already marked the 2026 regular-season schedule complete, so this is the defining first-team series on the calendar this week. See the official SMBC Japan Series 2026 page and NPB’s notice that the regular season has concluded.

NPB schedule for October 26 to November 1

All times below are listed in Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+09:00) and Coordinated Universal Time. NICT, Japan’s national time authority, describes JST as nine hours ahead of UTC; for these evening starts, the UTC time falls on the same calendar date. The Japan Series schedule gives October 26 and October 30 as travel days, with no game listed on either date. Because the championship ends as soon as one club earns four wins, the final two fixtures are possibilities rather than guaranteed games. The complete dates, venues, and start times appear in the NPB series information and schedule.

The schedule’s home-and-away sequence is straightforward: Yokohama hosts the opening pair, Fukuoka hosts Games 3 through 5, and the series returns to Yokohama for the last two dates if necessary. The dates in the table are NPB’s scheduled dates, not predictions that every listed game will be played. Check the official game pages for any later schedule changes.

Why this Japan Series is the week’s key NPB matchup

Game 3 starts the Fukuoka stretch

Tuesday’s Game 3 is the first fixture in the window and the first one at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka. That venue change makes it the cleanest point to rejoin the series if you missed the opening weekend: the teams shift cities, the listed home side changes to SoftBank, and three consecutive dates are scheduled in Fukuoka. The game is also the start of the week’s longest uninterrupted run, with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. JST on October 27. Follow the NPB Game 3 listing for the individual fixture.

Games 4 and 5 could decide whether the series travels back

Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29, continue the same matchup at the same Fukuoka venue, both at 6:00 p.m. JST (9:00 a.m. UTC). Game 5 is the last date in the Fukuoka block. Depending on results in the earlier games, it could be a potential clincher, or it could keep the series alive for the scheduled return to Yokohama. That makes the three-game sequence more than a set of isolated fixtures: the outcome of one night changes the stakes for the next, while the official calendar stays anchored to the confirmed dates.

Games 6 and 7 are conditional dates in Yokohama

If neither club has reached four wins by the end of Game 5, the series is scheduled to move back to Yokohama. Game 6 is set for Saturday, October 31, at 6:30 p.m. JST (9:30 a.m. UTC), and a possible Game 7 follows Sunday, November 1, at 6:00 p.m. JST (9:00 a.m. UTC). The return puts the deciding end of the series at Yokohama Stadium, the listed venue for the opening games as well. Both dates should be treated as conditional: the NPB regulations state that the Japan Series ends when either team wins four games.

How to follow the games this week

For a quick plan, mark Tuesday, October 27, as the first must-watch date in this window. If you want to follow the full Fukuoka stretch, the next scheduled starts are Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. Keep Saturday and Sunday as conditional dates rather than assuming the matchup will last all seven games. The day off on Friday, October 30, is the scheduled break before the possible return to Yokohama.

These are Japan evening start times, which means early morning for many viewers elsewhere: each 6:00 p.m. JST start is 9:00 a.m. UTC, and the 6:30 p.m. JST Game 6 start is 9:30 a.m. UTC. NICT provides the reference for Japan Standard Time. Converting from Japan’s date-specific offset also keeps the date clear for international readers; none of these listed starts crosses into a different UTC calendar day.

NPB’s individual game pages linked in the schedule are the best place to confirm the latest listed details for each fixture. This preview sticks to the confirmed series dates, venues, and scheduled starts; it does not project starting pitchers, lineups, results, or international broadcast availability. For anyone searching for NPB games this week, the answer is focused: the Japan Series is the championship to track, with Game 3 opening the Fukuoka run and a possible Game 7 closing the week in Yokohama.