Yesterday John and I took my family to Tokyo to catch a Yomiuri Giants baseball game. Baseball is bigger in Japan then it is in the US and the cheering at a Japanese baseball game is way more spirited than at US games.
When your team is a bat, a cheering section (that includes a live brass band and cheerleaders) leads the stadium in various types of cheers. Fans carry baseball bat shaped drum sticks and beat them together in time with the cheers.
When your team is playing the outfield, the home cheering section remains quiet and the away team's cheering section starts with their chants and brass band. I would compare it to sitting at a European soccer game, but watching baseball.
The teams have many American players as the US often recruits players from the Japanese leagues. So when they come across an American last name like Fields, the chant becomes Feedosu.
Food is different as well. Below is a picture of a bento box I had at the ball park. I also had a cheesy hotdog and some sho-chu, a barley alcohol.
Also, fans can sit behind the last row of stands and watch the game. Many people tape paper to the floor and then watch the game from their paper mat (picture below).
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What do you suppose the purpose of the paper mat is?
ReplyDeleteI think it's similar to us laying down a towel or blanket. Just a barrier between yourself and the floor.
ReplyDeleteIt looked like the person didn't have shoes on and that there were some next to them. Maybe it is this? I don't know much about the whole shoe off shoe on thing. Maybe I'm just seeing things.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same thing like taking your shoes off before you sit on a picnic blanket. You don't want to be walking with dirty shoes all over where you're about to sit down and eat.
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