Being from Chicago and a die-hard Cubs fan, I have a distinct appreciation for Koushien Stadium and the Hanshin Tigers. Without question it’s the ballpark that packs the most historical punch in Japan, and Hanshin is a franchise with a stories history of close calls, failure, frustration and extremely loyal fans. Add in the inestimably huge Summer Koushien high school baseball tournament so well-known to manga and anime fans (the single biggest sporting event in Japan) and the place has a lock on the title of Japan’s baseball Mecca.
More than that, though, I think Koushien during a Tigers game is probably the single best environment for baseball in the world, period – if you’re sitting in the “Alps” seats or even better, the right or center-field bleachers. That’s where I was for today’s game against the Chiba Lotte Marines. I’d been to Koushien Stadium before, for a semi-final in the Spring high school tournament. And I’ve seen the Tigers – but in Tokyo, playing the hated Giants.
I had high expectations for today, and wasn’t disappointed. Tiger fans are notorious for being both riotous and extremely friendly, and the reputation is deserved. A lone foreigner sitting in the bleachers (as with Wrigley, the best place to watch a game) is going to be offered food, balloons (for the famous seventh-inning ritual) and endless conversation. The Tigers sell out nearly every game, and the cheer squads (a fixture at all NPB parks, but especially loud at Koushien) never let up. I have to call out the visiting Lotte fans, too – in Koushien they’re confined to a sliver of left field, but they were boisterous, well-organized and energetic. Even the home fans were appreciative of their efforts.
As for the game itself, it was dominated by two ex-Cubs. Kousuke Fukudome (now 41) hit a home run and drove in the Tigers’ two runs in regulation, and Rafael Dolis blew the shutout and the save in the ninth in giving up three hits on four pitches and fielding a bunt about to go foul and throwing it into right field. Japanese regular season baseball ends in a tie after 12 innings, and we were two outs away from that when the Tigers snatched the win on a Lotte error. The passion of these fans is remarkable – nary a soul seemed to leave for the four-hour duration of the game – in itself a contrast to U.S. parks. But most of them (and all the ones in the bleachers) stayed for the lengthy post-game celebrations – the “today”s hero” interview and victory tour, a rendition of every player in the starting lineup’s cheer song, an encore by the multiple mascots and the cheerleaders… I finally left about a half-hour after the game ended and there was still no indication that the post-game festivities were coming to a close.
Also included here – a photo of a dragonfly which I snapped at Suwa Rikyu, the former Imperial villa now a superb public park in West Kobe, just because I think it’s cool.
