Photo By Seaman Frank Speciale | 170414-N-AF125-180 YOKOHAMA, Japan (Apr. 14, 2017) -- The crowd cheers on the Yokohama...... read more read more
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Large crowds and an ecstatic fan base fill Yokohama Stadium, home of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yokohama DeNa Baystars. The atmosphere on game day is reminiscent of what you might expect at a college football game at the peak of the season. Each player has a custom chant that supporters – donning their favorite players’ jerseys —memorize and shout during at bats. Pep bands play in deafening harmony. Hyper-athletic women in tight pants and jerseys dance between innings and beer girls walk around with miniature kegs on their backs from the first pitch to the crack of the last swing of the bat.
In the sea of seats there is something special to Japanese baseball; fan-cheering sections. They are the diehards. They are more than just season ticketholders. They are the heart of the team.
In Cleveland, they’d be the Dawg Pound.
They’re the 12th Man in College Station’s Texas A&M University.
These are the fans who throw octopus on the ice in Detroit.
Their sections are similar to a high school football crowd from rural Georgia powerhouse’s like Camden County, the Cameron Crazies from Duke and the Seven Nation Army of FC Brugge.
In other words, they’re among the most loyal, devoted and loudest of the sports world’s home field advantages.
The game starts off similarly to that in America. The national anthem plays before a former player, local celebrity or lucky fan throws the ceremonial first pitch.
After that, the game takes on a Japanese vibe.
Cheerleaders take to the field pumping up the crowd with choreographed dances. The starting lineup is announced and tribute songs tailored to each player begin to sound. After a short introduction hype video, it’s time to play ball.
When the game is in full swing, the beer girls continuously walk up and down the aisles even sometimes bumping into one another as they pass. Their name is a bit of a misnomer as they serve everything from beer — which the team has its own collection of craft beers to choose from — soft drinks, coffee among other choices. What is surprisingly missing is food. You’ll have to walk to and get yourself in one of the many vestibules around the stadium. Here spectators can find bento boxes, pork buns, sushi, and American favorites like hot dogs and popcorn. Or you can go with the odder choices like a carb-loaded spaghetti sandwich with a side of fermented soybeans.
Throughout the game, the cheerleaders will reappear sporadically shooting t-shirts into the crowd and dancing the team’s specific routine so fans can follow along. Fans roar for the home run and scream louder for the Dead Ball-era throwbacks who draw walks after fouling off six pitches and forcing the pitch count to climb high enough to see a team car roll up from the bullpen with a relief pitcher riding shotgun.
Baseball in Japan mirrors many of the nation’s values and mindset. Players practice tirelessly year round to the point where the phrases like, “practice ‘till you pee blood” become commonplace. It’s believed that with enough practice, anything is possible and that full dedication is needed on and off the field. If a player does not fully commit, many see that he is letting himself, his family, team and even the community down.
The Japanese also admire the one-on-one battle between the pitcher and batter. It’s viewed as a duel to between two warriors, but at the same time the pitcher must worry about the consequences of giving up a hit or at worse a run to a hitter. There are times where a pitcher will intentionally walk a batter even if it gives up a run to not risk giving up two.
Baseball is, of course, not the only thing to be found in Yokohoma. The country’s second largest city is so congested; it’s hard to tell where Yokohama stops and Tokyo begins. The many shops, restaurants, and other attractions nearby become very crowded on game days. The megapolis environment alone is a unique experience separating Yokohama from its American counterparts.
Baseball may be American, but the Japanese have made it all their own and with it an electrifying and energetic spectacle in the Land of the Rising Sun.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.27.2017 07:27 |
| Story ID: | 260270 |
| Location: | YOKOHAMA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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