Today we left Toyama for a couple of days to travel to Osaka to see a Hanshin Tigers game. If you've never been to a Japanese baseball game, it is something that you should take in at least once in your life if you can, even if you don't like baseball. It is quite the spectacle -- sport, concert, group event. These games are also probably the most civilized sporting event you will ever attend. With the occasional exception, everyone is very well-behaved: no swearing, no berating the other team, no beer being spilled on you. This despite the fact that there is some pretty serious drinking going on.
As we are staying in a popular district of Osaka called Namba, we had to make our way over to the baseball stadium by taking the subway and a stadium train. It takes about 45 mins to get to the stadium. Osaka is way more crowded and busy than both Toyama and Sapporo combined. People here also tend to be a bit more "lively" than in other parts of Japan. I knew that I was in Osaka when a little old lady pushed me out of the way in order to get to her train! It was actually quite funny and not usually normal behaviour here in Japan.
Not only are the people more lively here but the food is phenomenal and relatively cheap. Osaka is definitely known for food and there is plenty of variety to choose from.
But for the baseball game...
As I mentioned earlier, Japanese professional baseball is of a very high calibre and the fans are fanatical. This is nowhere more the case than in Osaka where the Hanshin Tigers are very popular. We were able to get tickets to one game but the rest were all sold out. The game we saw this evening was versus the Yakult Swallows of Tokyo. It was a close game, ending 6 to 4. Yet, the game was hardly the highlight of the evening, the fans were. It was actually hard to concentrate on the actual game given the atmosphere in the sold-out stadium.
I've been to three Japanese baseball games (two in Osaka and one in Yokohama) and this one fit the same pattern that I've witnessed before: home team fans on one side of the stadium with visiting team fans on the other. When your team is up to bat you cheer (sing each player's unique song) and when your team is on the field you stay quiet. It is all very well choreographed by an insane team of cheerleaders who are actually right in the stands with all of the fans. It is absolutely incredible to witness how well coordinated the fans are -- they follow the cheerleaders flawlessly and they know each player's fight song! It is just wild but totally under control. Quite a spectacle to behold!
Osaka baseball fans are unique for one particular tradition -- releasing thousands of whistle balloons at the bottom of the 7th inning. Everyone blows up a balloon and when the bottom of the 7th arrives releases them in unison, each balloon whistling up into the sky. It is an unbelievable sight. This is the second time that I've been at a game in Osaka and it was amazing to see this balloon ritual again. Such a simple thing but truly amazing. What a waste of balloons though!
Japanese baseball is one of the greatest sporting events that you'll ever attend. If you ever have the chance, make sure that you give it a try.
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