Japanese Baseball: A First-Timer’s Experience
Watching the Tokyo Yakult Swallows vs. the SoftBank Hawks was a surreal departure from anything I’ve seen at any MLB game.
When visiting new cities and destinations, I often opt for seeing cultural attractions, neighborhoods, and even tourist traps. Anything to absorb the vibe and be immersed in what living there must be like. Plus, it gives me a chance to capture some fantastic photographs!
Taking in sporting events is not usually on my travel list of things to do — not that I hate watching them. It’s because they either would take up a lot of time I could spend visiting other parts of a city or tickets are expensive or I just don’t have someone to go with.
My First Non-U.S./Canada Sporting Event
A few months ago, I visited Japan for the first time with my family. One day, we toured through Tokyo as part of a private guided tour, visiting teamLabs Planet, the Ginza district, Asakusa, Shibuya and other locations. The day culminated at Meiji Jingu Stadium where we met up with another tour guide, Mac from Maction Planet.
We were going to a baseball game!
Turns out there are two teams in Tokyo (which makes sense since the city is so massive, it has an audience that can support multiple teams like Los Angeles and New York City): the Giants and the Yakult Swallows. I hoped for the former because then I could buy merchandise to match my San Francisco apparel!
But instead, we got to see the latter.
Queue the sad trombone.
Okay, enough with the pity party.
Meiji Jingu Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in Japan with an uncertain future. Fans are trying to save this nearly 100-year-old ballpark from destruction by developers who want to put in its place a “rugby ground with towering skyscrapers and hotels.”
It’s an open-air stadium and some rain was predicted in the forecast, but we were blessed with a great evening.
Japan’s Baseball Vibe is Like No Other
You would think that baseball is baseball, no matter where it’s played. But you’d be wrong because, in Japan, the culture is perhaps the equivalent of soccer/football internationally.
It’s serious business!
Like in America, fans are cheering non-stop. But in Japan, it’s next-level: Home players don’t get individual entrance music as they approach the plate—they get a special chant sung by the fans! And there’s a different one to cheer on the batter.
You can also buy plastic boom sticks and bang them incessantly throughout the game to rally your team to victory. They’re great to bring back home as mementos or gifts for loved ones. Fans bang on them continuously in unison throughout the game.
When a runner scores, the fans at Meiji Jingu Stadium do an umbrella dance. It’s wild seeing thousands of people take out their umbrellas or small plastic souvenir ones and celebrate the score.
Oh, fans of both teams have a pep band accompanying the cheering! During my outing, I heard drumming and trumpeting. It’s not a full-sized group of musicians and all the cheering seemed to replace the need for music to be piped through the stadium speakers.
You might think that with all the noisy contraptions, cheers, chanting and dancing it’s pure chaos.
You’d be wrong.
It’s controlled chaos, a beautiful symphony of vocalization by fans in support of their team. I was fascinated to learn that in the crowd, there’s a conductor that creates harmony out of noise.
Hidden in the crowd below where the pep band and flag wavers are situated are at least two individuals who get fans riled up and lead them through the chants and songs in the right situation. I strained my eyes to figure out who was the conductor in a massive sea of people in the stands —it’s a practical “Where’s Waldo” scenario. Turns out they’re pretty easy to identify if you look for the bright red shirts, though this might be different depending on who the home team is.
The famed “Seventh Inning Stretch” is something to behold. About an inning or so prior, the opposing team’s fans sing a short interlude — their version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” The Tokyo Swallows fans remained silent and respectful throughout the performance. Then, in the middle of the seventh inning, it was the Swallows’ turn. And the place went nuts, with umbrella dancing, singing and celebrating.
I didn’t understand a single word of the song Swallows fans were singing as it was in Japanese. I know it was different from the one belted out by the Hawks’ fans. It didn’t matter really…because it was all lively and fun.
There was plenty of on-field entertainment during breaks. Cheerleaders were brought out and performed skits. Mascots were also trotted out and gave fans a good show.
Things You Should Know Before Attending a Japanese Baseball Game
Here’s a list of things I’d recommend you be aware of before going to watch a baseball game in Japan.
- Be prepared to have fun!
- Choose wisely where you sit because home and opposing fans are not mixed together. If you’re unsure which team you’re rooting for, probably pick the home team and sit where many of their fans are.
- While Meiji Jingu is an open-air ballpark, some teams will play in domed stadiums.
- While Japan has adopted many of the rules of American baseball, not everything has carried over (yet) such as the pitching clock. That means the game could theoretically last longer than three hours and even go into extra innings. Our tour guide joked(?) that some games could last until the wee morning hours. Thankfully ours did not.
- The food selection at the stadiums is a mix of American and Japanese cuisine. At Meiji Jingu Stadium, you could get chicken nuggets and fries and also sushi — there’s something for everyone.
- Clean up after yourself. When the game ends, fans are diligent about taking their waste away with them. Some diehards will even have brought a garbage bag to collect all the trash they created.
- Be careful of inebriated fans stumbling out of the stadium. On our way home, we came across two people carrying their friend who had way too much to drink. Oh, and know when you’ve drunk enough!
- Speaking of alcohol, vendors will bring beers to you and pour them right on the spot. And you can easily spot the brand of choice by the color of the clothes the pourer is wearing.
- It was okay to bring bags and backpacks into Meiji Jingu Stadium, but be sure to check with the ballpark before you go because each one might be different. We had a quick bag check before entering the stadium, not unlike anything in the U.S.
- I did bring my Sony mirrorless camera (a7c) with me to the game. It seemed okay to have a professional camera with you, just as long as you’re not interfering with the viewing experience of those around you. I probably could have brought a telephoto lens with me.
Go!! Go!! Swallows!!
Sadly, we weren’t treated to a home team win that night but did walk away with some great memories. I even picked up a jersey to commemorate the evening, though it was for the mascot…
Overall, if you do visit Japan and enjoy the game of baseball, try to take in a game while you’re here. Everyone that I went with had a lot of fun and I’d definitely love to do it again, and even see how other teams’ fans are. Just part of the great sports experience…
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