Take Me Out to the Yakyu

Yakyu (literally "field" combined with "ball", Baseball as we know it) is to Japan what hockey is to Canada, cricket is to England, football is to the USA and soccer is to everywhere else. Although first introduced in the 19th century by an American professor, it really took hold after World War II.

There are two professional leagues of six teams each in Nippon Professional Baseball, all manically followed by the populace. We had wanted to see the Hiroshima Carp, because who wouldn't want to see a team called the Hiroshima Carp? But it was completely sold out, (The Hiroshimians love their Carp:

city manhole cover

presumably a whiskey highball and not one
made with actual carp

so we used the excellent services of japanball.com to score us seats in Toyko.

We probably needn't have bothered reserving ahead because there were plenty of seats available, although it was great to just stroll into the large stadium. And we did have the finest seats one could possibly have, between home plate and first base, about 6 rows up from the netting protecting us from foul balls (of which there were plenty), but sitting high above the home team's bench.

The teams are known by their large corporate sponsors, as are the stadiums, so we were watching the Chiba Lotte Marines against the Orix Buffaloes, which means one of the Tokyo teams against the merged (2004) team from Osaka/Kobe. It took an hour and a half by train to reach the stadium, way out in Tokyo's east bay, past Tokyo Disneyland, canals, docks and mini-cities of high-rises. It didn't look like a lot of other fans were on our train, mostly business men in suits, but don't be fooled. These men went right form the office to the field, some of whom threw on a team t-shirt at the stadium. 

The game, sadly, was not that great. Four runs scored, all by Orix and 3 which came from walked hitters. The Orix catcher was very butterfingered, and all pitchers were 'retired' within the game. A few strikeouts and a lot of high foul balls ecstatically caught by the crowd. It was cool and windy, so near the sea and we were glad of our outer layers and hats.

That said, it was memorable. The food for example. Gyoza, grilled beef and four thousand other options, some of which looked a little less appetizing to our eyes, but obviously popular. 

Very friendly girls carrying beer barrels on their backs constantly running up and down the aisles. Emerald green cream soda. 

There were cheerleaders and mascots and balloons and what was billed as "Victory Fireworks" after the 4th inning. 

No 7th inning stretch, but great introductions to each player as they came to bat, as if they were rock stars. But the best bit by far were the crowd cheering squads. Two outfield sections, one for home fans and one for away, were dedicated to choreographed cheers, songs for each player, trumpet and drum accompaniment and more energy than the play deserved.

During each team's at bat, that section kept the chants and jumps and arms movements and banners flying going right through, then sat quietly when the other team's fan base had its turn. there was never any cross-chanting or jeering at all - everyone was very polite. But given a lacklustre game, these fans, if anything, got even louder and cheerier as the game went on. 

It was a mad rush for the exits, but there were buses waiting to take people back to the train station, at half the cost it took to get us there. 

Merchandise was everywhere to be seen, submerged only when we stopped at Tokyo Disneyland and a huge crowd got on, dressed with Minnie the Mouse ponchos and Winnie the Pooh ears, and carrying bags of fluffy toys and tee-shirts and pins and purses and scarves and whatall. Adults and children alike all in Disney-inspired gear. Great fun to watch but give me peanuts and crackerjack instead, any day.