Twelve pro teams - Japan has had twelve professional teams since the two-league system was established in 1950 - six in each league. Names and owners change from time to time, with the latest reorganization taking place in 2004. Here are the current 12 teams:

Central League		Pacific League
	Chunichi Dragons Established: Jan. 1936 Ballpark: Nagoya Dome League titles: 7 Last pennant: 2006   >>More (Wikipedia)		Chiba Lotte Marines Established: Sep. 1949 Ballpark: Chiba Marine Stadium League titles: 5 Last pennant: 2005   >>More (Wikipedia)
	Hanshin Tigers Established: Dec. 1935 Ballpark: Koshien Stadium (Nishinomiya) League titles: 9 Last pennant: 2005   >>More (Wikipedia)		Fukuoka Softbank Hawks Established: Mar. 1938 Ballpark: Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome League titles: 15 Last pennant: 2003   >>More (Wikipedia)
	Hiroshima Toyo Carp Established: Nov. 1949 Ballpark: Hiroshima Municipal Stadium League titles: 6 Last pennant: 1991   >>More (Wikipedia)		Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Established: Nov. 1945 Ballpark: Sapporo Dome League titles: 4 Last pennant: 2007   >>More (Wikipedia)
	Tokyo Yakult Swallows Established: Jan. 1950 Ballpark: Meiji Jingu Stadium (Tokyo) League titles: 6 Last pennant: 2001   >>More (Wikipedia)		Orix Buffaloes Established: Nov. 2004 (merger of Orix BlueWave and Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes) Ballparks: Kyocera Dome Osaka, Skymark Airlines Kobe Stadium Last pennant: Orix 1996, Kintetsu 2001   >>More (Wikipedia)
	Yokohama BayStars Established: Nov. 1949 Ballpark: Yokohama Stadium League titles: 2 Last pennant: 1998   >>More (Wikipedia)		Saitama Seibu Lions Established: Nov. 1949 Ballpark: Seibu Dome (Tokorozawa) League titles: 20 Last pennant: 2004   >>More (Wikipedia)
	Yomiuri Giants Established: Dec. 1934 Ballpark: Tokyo Dome League titles: 40 Last pennant: 2007   >>More (Wikipedia)		Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Established: Nov. 2004 Ballpark: Fullcast Stadium Miyagi (Sendai) League titles: None   >>More (Wikipedia)