Tuesday, July 22nd: Baseball

Monday was a holiday and a travel day for us, so Tuesday was our first day back in Tokyo this week. A few weeks before we came to Tokyo, Shuji and Waka had come to Boston on business and the four of us went to a Red Sox game. Now, the four of us were going to do the same in Tokyo! We saw the Yakult Swallows and the Yokohama Bay Stars. The captain of the Japanese baseball team going to the Olympics plays for the Yakult Swallows- it is surreal to have seen him play in person, in Tokyo, before the Olympics! It was obvious he was someone special by his introductory theme song. All the players have their very own theme song, and as the home team, the Yakult Swallows players each had their song played over the loud speakers as they came to bat and had a kind of cartoon image depiction on the big screen that was topped off with a picture of their actual heads, often making funny "tough guy" faces. Both teams had a section of fans that was centered by a band devoted to each team- so even though it was an away game for Yokohama, the band played each player's song to rev them up! But for the captain of the Olympic team, the theme song and associated pictures were as slick and glossy as a commercial.



Once we settled in, Shuji introduced us to something new- Takoyaki! These are basically fried balls of octopus and are delicious. We were washing these down with beer (just like we'd wash down the hot dogs at Fenway!)- but getting a beer at a Japanese ball game is very different than in the States! Beers are served by vendors who walk the stadiums- most of these were young girls- and they are dressed in baseball uniforms where the "team" name is the beer brand. The look was more sporty than anything else- cute, not seductive. So, you have these cute girls walking around in knee socks, skirts, baseball caps and "Asahi" or "Kirin" jerseys and they serve you beer directly from the keg strapped to their back. Draft beers, served seat-side. It was great. My camera battery died before I could get a picture to show you all!

It was the first week of the school summer holiday, so there were lots of families and little boys dressed up in their baseball jerseys. It was fun to watch the kids as much as the game. At one point, the mascot started tossing balls into the stands and the little boys were so excited!



I really enjoyed the game, but most of all, sitting next to and talking to Waka. She is the very definition of sweet and has a great sense of humor. She showed me pictures of her adorable daughter, but what made me laugh was when I asked her, "Waka, how is your daughter?" and Waka rolled her eyes and said, "So Noisy!". I just cannot imagine. Waka herself is so soft spoken, but she says her daughter is chatting all the time. I hope one day I get to meet her...and hear exactly how noisy she really is!


And of course, there were cheerleaders- and a mini-brigade of little girl cheerleaders! All in all, it was so much fun and I am so glad I got to go to a Japanese Baseball game!