Orange, white and black filled the Tokyo Dome on June 5 as the Yomiuri Giants beat the Chiba Lotte Marines, 8-2. But for 15 SJMC Japan students, some baseball fans and some not, joined the optional outing to experience a Tokyo baseball game that will be forever remembered.
As soon as they stepped through the doors, students felt the energy with crowd cheers echoing throughout the dome. The roar of the fans continued throughout the entire night as Giants fans and Marines fans continually sang and chanted to urge their team on. Marines fans, known as an enthusiastic and vocal crowd at road stadiums, continuing cheering even though their team was losing 8-0 into the ninth inning.
Their devotion was rewarded when Marines slugger Neftalí Soto hit his 200th career home run with a runner on base. Marines fans got to witness the historic home run, unlike American fans that would’ve been long gone early with their team losing big.
The love of the game was shared by many. Different walks of life were seen filtering through the stadium to appreciate the culture of Japanese baseball. Some even purchased jerseys and souvenirs of Yomiuri players. SJMC Japan students and program directors were seen wearing different numbers and names such as, No. 45 Eito Tanaka, No. 92 Raidel Martinez and No. 12 Trey Cabbage who also hit a home run, inspiring Brady Hart to immediately purchase his jersey after the game.
Students also indulged in a combination of Japanese and American baseball cuisine such as Japanese fried chicken, hot dogs and fries, which were much longer than the average American fries. Digital media innovation senior Mia Saucedo wasn’t a fan of the Japanese fried chicken, but she enjoyed the cheese bites. Associate Professor Sara Shields described the chicken as “interesting.”
Tokyo Dome snacks weren’t the only thing students got a taste of. Between an inning, a sushi race occurred with children in sushi costumes, similar to intermissions that occur at American baseball games but with a touch of Japanese tradition.
Additionally, students got to witness the official Yomiuri Giants dance and mascot team, VENUS. VENUS was established in 1994, and they are now one of the most prominent cheer and performance squads in Japanese baseball. The professional dancers also entertain the crowd between innings with the comedic sushi race, but their work is much more refined as they dance on the field to maintain the energy of the fans.
Students happily participated in other game traditions such as waving the rally towels when the Giants scored and chants led by an ōendan, a cheering squad.
The Japanese sports rallying team stayed consistent the entirety of the game without allowing a dull moment to pass. The towels are waved during big plays or rallies to show support for the team. Students at the game were gifted towels from Tokyo Dome with Texas State University printed on them with the orange and black team colors.
The group waved their towels along with the crowd, but it also seemed like some of them began to pick up on the rhythmic clapping of the ōendan.
Songs and chants are a huge tradition that the entire right-field cheering section seemed to have memorized, as well as a few other Yomiuri fans scattered throughout the dome. To the SJMC Japan students, the clapping side of the cheering seemed to be the easiest as they aren’t aware of the Japanese lyrics. From the first inning to the ninth, students became more comfortable with the repetitive crowd clapping and were able to join along despite coming from across the globe.
A home run by Yomiuri player Trey Cabbage added to the electric atmosphere in Tokyo Dome, giving students the chance to witness a great at bat and experience the cheer section’s peak energy.
After the game concluded, the group of students stayed to witness an on-field press conference with the player of the game. The language barrier didn’t stop them from being attentive and watching their new favorite team and players being interviewed.
The Tokyo Dome and the Friday night win will be, without a doubt, a special memory for these 15 SJMC Japan students.
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