"Go Fight, Win Tonight!!!" just doesn't cut it for the passion the Japanese express for their favorite teams. Going to a ball game here doesn't mean you can sit on the sidelines and enjoy a deliciously fatty hot dog - no, one must be prepared with their best clapping hands and cheering voices, because the Japanese take cheering their team on to a whole new level. They cheer the ENTIRE time their team is up for bat, and each player has their own chant. What is even more interesting is that the entire crowd seems to know when exactly they are to cheer and what they are cheering; and, contrary to American cheerleaders, these cheerleaders are constantly moving through the stands encouraging the crowd to join in by giving high-5's and clapping consistently.
When a hit or run is made the entire stadium erupts into song and dance, flag waving is an obvious choice for expressing their joy for their teams success! Go Lions!
I went to a game last year with my friend Tavi, her mom, and Don; we had so much fun I had to bring my parents to a game on their visit to Japan (who are currently enjoying a Japanese curry in this photo). My friend Dano also came with us and was a huge help in encouraging my parents to try new foods. As you can see, hot dogs are not the only thing served at here during a baseball game. There are a variety of foods to choose from such as ramen, Japanese and Indian curry, yaki tori (chicken on a stick) and more traditional hot dogs. Being gluten-free does present a problem here as most of the food is not GF friendly; however, I have found that yaki tori is usually a great selection for me. It's is chicken pieces grilled on a stick and is covered in a teriyaki sauce, which almost always has some wheat in the sauce; so, I request that they make it with no sauce and for my needs it is usually enough, though someone with a severe allergy would likely still have a problem due to cross contamination. I try my best to limit these incidences though living in another country with a huge language barrier can prove to be more than challenging. In spite of the risk, the yaki tori was flavored with a little salt and was a delicious dinner just enough for me.
At the beginning of the 7th inning each set of team fans release "victory balloons". All of the fans from each side blow up these massive team colored balloons and release them into the air at the same time, though I'm not fully sure of the significance of the action it is quite amusing and the sight of hundreds of balloons flying into the air is really cool.
I'm not sure Dano or my parents believed me about the odd shape of the victory balloons....All in all we had a great time at the game and the Lions won 5-0! GO LIONS!!! WOOOHOOO!!! This clip is here to give you an idea of their fanatic enthusiasm.
