Despite not having all of my packing done, I spent my evening attending my first baseball (or yakyu as it is called here) game in Japan. Nearly 7 years here and I can't believe I waited until my final night here to discover how incredibly fun it is to watch a ballgame here in Japan...especially if you go to see a Hanshin Tigers game in Japan's most famous ballpark, Koshien Stadium.
The Tigers are the scrappy team of the working class, down to earth, good folks of Kansai (Wessside). I would liken them to my beloved Athletics back home in Oakland.
Watching a Tigers game in Koshien is unlike anything I've ever experienced in my long years of being an avid fan of the sport. Hanshin fans are HARD. CORE.
You enter the stadium and it's almost like entering a big festival. Almost everybody is decked out in Tigers paraphenelia and most have a "clapper" (a pair of plastic batons in the colors of the team festooned with the marks of the team) which they use to beat out the various accompaniments to all of the various cheer songs and chats of the night. The right outfield seats are where all of the super hardcore fans sit (Prof. W. managed to land us left outfield tickets which, though not as in the thick of it as the right, was plenty lively) . Trumpeters and bass drum players are scattered strategically throughout the outfield seats to provide accompaniment for the cheers...which are nearly constant and fairly well-organized. I was reminded of all the school fight songs and cheers we used to do for basketball games back in my Garfield High days. Not only is there a Hanshin Tigers fight song, there are songs for each of the individual players.
Cheering and shouting, throwing back a couple of beers and chowing down on some good ole ballpark eats (oden, sushi, dried squid, yakitori, etc.) ... and having cute girls who were sitting next to us strike up conversation with us...who could ask for more?
If you are in Japan or plan to visit and have not yet seen the Tigers, GO.
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