The passionate love for baseball is thriving here in Tokyo, and it’s only growing in popularity. It is by far the most prominent sport here in Japan.
As we excitedly hopped on the train to Bunkyō to the Tokyo Dome, I had no idea what to expect. Would this be similar to America? I asked myself. Eventually leaving the station and approaching the Tokyo Dome, I was immediately greeted by a colossal structure stopping me dead in my tracks in disbelief of its stature. It made the huge crowds of people appear like ants. Big banners and video displays surround the outside stadium with vibrant orange colors of the Yomiuri Giants.
Finding it hard to navigate, we eventually grouped up, where I met my eventual friend, Tenyu Hamasaki. Tenyu or Ten for short is a student at Hitotsubashi University who helped guide us around the gigantic arena.
As we eventually settled in our seats trying to take it all in, soon enough the stadium started roaring. The electric feeling surrounded the field as screams filled my ears. After the game started, fans swung their bright orange Giants towels in a circular motion. A euphoric feeling possessed me as I began to chant and follow along. The energy stayed consistent throughout all nine innings even though the Giants ended up losing.
I asked Hamasaki, my new baseball friend: How did baseball get so popular in Japan even though it’s known as an American sport?
“All-time great Japanese baseball players like Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani are seen as more than just baseball players” Hamasaki told me. “They are celebrities.”
This put it in a different perspective for me. These players transcend baseball in their eyes; they are role models for young kids all over Japan. They make watching baseball so exciting and fun even as they play or played for the MLB in America, they still represent Japan.
Although similar in a lot of ways, baseball in Japan is also quite different than in America. Fan culture is very different from what I’ve noticed. In the Tokyo Dome, the unique cheers and chants seemed precisely coordinated and mostly everyone participated. Another big difference is the cuisine from the concession stands. The Tokyo Dome having foods like curry, soba noodles, yakitori, and bento boxes are far different then the food served during an American baseball game.
Getting to experience a Japanese baseball game firsthand opened my eyes on the cultural differences between the two, although the game is played the same way. This has shown me new and different aspects to the game of baseball that I have never seen before.
