When we were in Japan our daughter took us to a baseball game to see her local team, the Southbank Hawks who had won the Japanese World Series 2 years in a row. This year they were eliminated and instead the Hiroshima Toyo Carp will face the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Most experts say that Japanese isn't quite on a level with American baseball and would be just a step below it a AAAA level. But we enjoyed the game, it was well played and the fans were incredible.
When our daughter goes to a game she takes her baseball bag with her, it has her Hawk shirt, small plastic bats to beat together and balloons.
At the game there is a designated cheering section for each team that includes a brass band and each team has a fight song, in fact there's a chant for every player--trust me, the guy in front of us knew every one of them-- and the home team has cheerleaders.
It was loud, noisy, cheerful and quite something. We really liked the beer girls who carried kegs of beer on their backs and you could get draft beer on the spot.
For the 7th inning stretch everyone blows up balloons--that night the balloons were blue and yellow--and at the end of the team's fight song the balloons are release en masse, it was quite a sight.
We thoroughly enjoyed it all.
I love Japanese Baseball, my team is the Hanshin Tigers.
ReplyDeleteDid you get the tiny bag of beer crackers like fish ? So good !
Family gets the bento boxes and eat them at the game.
I am so envious of your trip.
Love baseball and have visited many stadiums. I use yo have Angle season tickets and was there the year the won the World Series ! The new owner is a huge jerk.
I like both teams so it is hard for me to pick one over the other. Maybe the Cubs ?
cheers, parsnip
I've never experienced a baseball game, but so many absolutely love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it and I love the blue and yellow balloons
All the best Jan
It sounds like a real party instead of a ball game! I bet it was so much fun :)
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing. I have never actually been to a baseball game before.
ReplyDeleteIt must be a great atmosphere, I think that all adds to the enjoyment of the game.
ReplyDeleteI'm north of Chicago and its nuts here!!! But I love it!!! I'm going to ignore the fact that they lost last night.
ReplyDeleteThose games sound like so much fun!!!!!
Even the balloons are different! :) What Fun! :0
ReplyDeleteIt sounds more fun than major league games to me, which seem very commercial. Funny shape to the balloons. There is one Cubs fan in this house. And it's not me!
ReplyDeleteWe've been Blue Jay crazy here in the Toronto area, but now that they're out of the running I've lost interest in who wins. The game in Japan sounds like a lot of fun, and sort of like the crazy spectators that go to lacrosse games here. I think I'd rather stretch in the 7th inning that blow up balloons ;)
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