Ahead of the Pacific League opening game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, which will be the memorable first official game at ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO (hereinafter referred to as "ES CON FIELD"), the "2023 PLAY BALL ~ HOKKAIDO BALLPARK F VILLAGE Opening Ceremony" was held on Thursday, March 30th, in front of the third base gate of ES CON FIELD. The event featured a demonstration flight by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Blue Impulse and a powerful performance by the Northern Air Force Band, celebrating the historic moment of the opening of the new ballpark in grand style.

Representatives from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hokkaido Prefecture, the All Hokkaido Ballpark Cooperation Council including Kitahiroshima City, Obayashi Corporation, and Nippon Escon Co., Ltd. attended the ceremony. First, Nobuhisa Igawa, owner of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, gave a speech saying, "Today is possible thanks to the support of everyone who has embraced our vision. Together with everyone, we will create a space that Hokkaido can be proud of, and we hope to share this not only within Japan but also with the world." After congratulatory speeches from Yukio Hashimoto, Director-General of the Hokkaido Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Naomichi Suzuki, Governor of Hokkaido, and Shozo Ueno, Mayor of Kitahiroshima, the children of Hiroshima Kindergarten also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As the gates opened at 4 PM, the 11th Squadron, also known as the Blue Impulse, belonging to the 4th Air Wing at Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture, glided over Escon Field. Their perfectly synchronized and dynamic acrobatic flight lasted for about 20 minutes, captivating the eyes of waiting fans with their aerial performance, including drawing a heart in the blue sky with white smoke.