Baseball in Japan
by Chemo on Jan 26, 2010 12:40 AM EST
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PrintI have a friend who's teaching English in Japan for the next few years (the JET program, if any of you are familiar), so some of my other friends and I are planning to visit him in March. We thought it would be cool to see a baseball game while we're there, but we don't know much about Japanese baseball. So it's a work in progress, but our plans are coming together. If there are any Japanese baseball vets in the house, I'd appreciate your advice.
Our first problem was finding a reliable schedule. After some extensive googling, all we could find was one at Japanball.com (here), but we can't find anything official-looking. For now, we're just assuming everything on there is correct. We'll be there from March 28 to April 4, which is near the beginning of the season. Hopefully the weather will be good -- I understand it's one of the better times to visit Japan.
At first, we all wanted to go see Indians legend Tom Mastny play for the Yokohoma BayStars, but it looks like that won't be convenient. We're staying in the Osaka area for most of our trip, and my friend tells me the Hanshin Tigers are local. Unfortunately, it looks like they're on the road the entire time we're there, so we're hoping to take an overnight trip to Hiroshima and see the Hiroshima Carp (Go Carp!) play the Tigers between 3/30 and 4/2. It sounds like the Carp are similar to the Indians, in that they have had decades of futility and regularly lose all of their good players to free agency. They were the Japanese team that got 9 games out of a young Alfonso Soriano before he jilted them and signed with the Yankees, so we can all identify. And JapanBall has this to say:
Carp fans come in one flavor: rabid. Possibly the most energetic in Japan, Hiroshima's cheering section repeats one hypnotic cheer for all their players.
That just sounds awesome. Plus, have I mentioned they're called the Carp?
Unfortunately, the Carp stole their hats from the Cincinnati Reds, so I can't buy a cap from my new favorite team without everyone assuming I'm a Reds fan. Maybe a jersey.
Our next issue is tickets. We have no idea if Nippon League games, or Carp games in particular, sell out regularly. I understand that the Tigers (boo!) are quite popular, so does that make them more likely to sell quickly? I don't know. We're considering having my friend in Japan buy us tickets in advance, but we'd rather not ask him to put a bunch of cash up front. He'll do it if he has to. Does anybody have any advice?
Other than that, I'm open to any thoughts you guys have. Should we memorize the chants? Will we get heckled in Japanese if we wear the wrong colors (actually, that might be cool)? Is there anything we should know about Japan in general from the veteran tourists in the group? Is Muscle Park as awesome as I imagine it is?
Hopefully this trip will be interesting enough to merit a full report when I get home.
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I lived in Japan for 3 years and caught quite a few games in the late 90s. My favorite adopted team was the Chilba Lotte Marines. I also caught some Yakult Swallows games in Shinjuku and a couple Nippon Ham Fighters games in the Tokyo Dome (also home of the Yomuri Giants—the Yankees of Japan.)
I would always recommend sitting in the outfield. Right field is where the band sits with their most rabid fans. Left field is where the visiting fans and band sits. Learning the chants will make you fast friends. Japanese bleacher seats may be rowdier than the American version, but fights are about as likely as Godzilla showing up (don’t be Godzilla.) I had many a good time banging on drums and waving flags with the various bands in the outfield and even scored free tickets to the Tokyo Dome as guests of the Nippon Ham Fighters’ band. Overall, Japanese baseball fans recognize Americans as welcome visitors in baseball parks. Yokohama is near a U.S. military base, so I’ve heard there is a large American presence in that stadium.
I never bought tickets in advance, but as a Tribe fan, I think I probably gravitated towards the underdogs of the league.
I hope you’re studying your Japanese.
No, not you. Your helmet!
by PatBordersHelmet on Jan 26, 2010 9:09 AM EST reply actions
Hey I’m going to Japan in Sept. for a couple weeks vacation, going to Tokyo for at least a week, then still up in the air. I’m trying to draw as much info/recommendations on what to do/ where to go besides Tokyo before I go. Do you have any suggestions? I can email you if you want instead of replying here.
How far out of Tokyo is your travel range? Kyoto and Hiroshima are both worthwhile, but northern Japan is really pretty and untouristed.
In Tokyo, I recommend: Harajuku, the bridge to Yoyogi Park on a Sunday morning should not be missed. Shibuya Crossing is great. Ueno Park. Tsukiji Fish Market – I never made it there early enough but it’s supposed to be crazy until about 7am. As mentioned above, try and see the Yakult Swallows in Shinjuku (nice outdoor stadium nestled in the city.) Also on your checklist should be Akihabara – more robots, gadgets and electronic junk stores than I imagine you’ll ever see anywhere else.
More of a day-trip from Tokyo, Kamakura is also worth checking out. Old temples and the closest thing to Japanese surfer culture. They have a city-wide festival in late September that is pretty cool.
No, not you. Your helmet!
by PatBordersHelmet on Jan 27, 2010 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
I’m meeting up with my friend who I am going with to work out the details, I would guess that we’d be willing to spend a half days travel by train anywhere outside of Tokyo. And I heard both Kyoto and Hiroshima were good destinations as well. I’m figuring we will spend one full week in Tokyo and then maybe hit up two other cities/areas if possible in the second week.
Thanks for the tips on where to go in Tokyo, I’ll definitively hit up Akihabara, as that sound like a sight to see. Kamakura sounds interesting as well, I’d like to see some of the temples.
I’m afraid I don’t have much advice for you, but please do let me (us) know how it goes. I’m moving to South Korea later this year (for a year) and will be dividing my time between Seoul and Tokyo for work reasons. I look forward to attending games in both countries and I certainly look forward to hearing your dispatches from the East.
Before taking Pro-Acta, please consult your doctor. Do not taunt Pro-Acta.
The Bogalussa Bomber would have much better advice than I can give you, but Japan’s pretty awesome. I could direct you to architectural heritage sites, if you’re into that. I spent a summer in Kyoto a few years ago. I watched the Hanshin Tigers on tv a lot, but sadly I never made it to a game. I hear that it’s a lot of fun—squid on a stick is tantamount to the hot dog.
Rent a bike when you’re in Kyoto and ride around the hills. Your hotel will probably keep a stable of them.
If you’re staying in Osaka, I can promise you that it’s easy (and stupid fast) to get to Hiroshima by bullet train (aka Shinkansen). Talk to a travel agent about buying a weekly unlimited rail pass in advance. It’ll save you money over individual tickets, and the trouble of having to explain your intentions to ticketing personnel later. You just flash the pass, wait a minute or two for any bullet train to arrive, and you’re off. They’ll take you right into the heart of the different cities.
Japan is an incredible place; Tokyo is the most exciting city I’ve ever visited. Do go there. I miss those hot, barely moist towels that I used to get before meals.
Talk to a travel agent about buying a weekly unlimited rail pass in advance. It’ll save you money over individual tickets, and the trouble of having to explain your intentions to ticketing personnel later.
Am I off the mark in seeing that a week long rail pass costs about $300?
Sounds about right. The two week is in the mid 400s, I think. The flight to and from Japan is usually about $1,100. If you want to take trips to and from Tokyo and Hiroshima, that’ll probably cost close to $300 anyway. If you just swallow the $300 bucks in advance, you don’t have to schedule anything, and it saves you time to see and do stuff.
The neat thing about the rail pass is that you can stay out late Friday night in Tokyo without ever booking a hotel / capsule (hard to do at the last minute), and take the 5 am train back to the Hotel / buddy’s place in Osaka (~2.5 hrs IIRC); you can the sleep on the train and mellow out in Osaka for a bit, then go back to Tokyo for Saturday night.
There are a number of faux pas that a Westerner is prone to making in Japan, such as eating while walking somewhere, but one thing that’s okay as far as I can tell is drunkenly half-sleeping on a bench or under a canopy while waiting for that 5 am train (trains don’t run past midnight because the operator’s union won’t do it).
I was once woken up on a bench by a sharply dressed station attendant taping me on the top of my head with a cold can of cola he must have just bought me. I sat up and took the can, he crossed his forearms in an X and walked away. Out of embarrassment, I quickly got on the very first—train which ended up not being my train. After that, I did my best to stay up as close to 5am as possible. Most Japanese who run out of steam hit up an all night diner like Yoshinoya and get a beef bowl and sip on green tea until the trains start back up.
No, not you. Your helmet!
by PatBordersHelmet on Jan 29, 2010 8:51 AM EST up reply actions
Take Pat’s advice re: Yoshinoya. A shinto monk motioned the ‘X’ in my direction when I tried to sneak a cigarette off the path at Ise shine. I felt thoroughly shamed, and I eventually quit the habit.
If you’re looking for a a tranquil daytrip, I suggest <a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_K%C5%8Dya”)Mount Koya. The place is called the “heart” of Japanese Buddhism. You should make a reservation at the monastery now. It’s not that expensive, and they’ll make you a very good meal. The nearby Cemetery is very impressive (and it’s not really a cemetery, just a million different monuments. The Buddhists cremate their dead).
It’s been awhile…
I live in Tokyo, but lived for two years in Osaka. Jhon and PatBordersHelmet have very good suggestions above. So many cool things to see and do. Off the top of my head; Shibuya Crossing is impressive to see thousands of teens to thirties below all the neon. You can walk around the area for a good afternoon visiting the shops and people watching. Poke your head in the little boutiques, you’ll be shocked to find things like kaleidoscope shops or socks shops or whatever. Walk through Tower Records and HMV…Tower has a good English language book store on the 7th floor. Cafe shops galore. Try Excelsior as a Japanese version of Starbucks…or just go to Starbucks. They are everywhere. Walk up Dogenzaka hill to check out the Love Hotel district. It’s not seedy at all.
Eat at local izakayas (Japanese-style pubs). Fun and great food.
Just one thing though, if you do stay out all night…crazy fun and easy to do…try not to fall asleep drunk on bench or even in the subway. Sure, people do it, but you are representin’, and it’s not too different if you saw a foreigner sleeping on a bench in Cleveland. Get a decent place you can crash. Save your energy to enjoy the sites and food and nightlife. Sleeping on the train will make you even more tired, that on top of your jet lag. It should be a last resort, not a first.
By all means see Mount Koya in Wakayama. You can make arrangements to sleep in a temple overnight, I believe.
Everywhere is safe in Japan, but Roppongi has gotten a bit seedier, and the touts are overwhelming. No reason to worry over your personal safety, but it’s not as fun as it used to be. The US Embassy has issued a warning about foreigners (that’s us) getting drinks spiked and running up huge credit card charges. Check the US Embassy site. But Tokyo itself is probably the safest city you’ll ever be in.
Stay one night in a Japanese hot spring (onsen). I think Jhon and Pat will back me up here…a little slice of heaven on earth.
Overall, my suggestion is get a good basic plan in place, but give yourself a bit of flexibility to explore.
As for baseball, too bad you can’t get to a Hanshin Tiger’s game.
Oh, the Tribe has a full time scout in Japan. Now that’s a good gig
by Bogalusa Bomber on Jan 29, 2010 11:56 PM EST reply actions
The sight of Shibuya crossing is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. The building with the digital display facade has a Starbucks that offers a good view of the action.
The hot springs and baths are equally incredible.
My last resort worked out just fine—it’s remarkable how safe Japan can feel—and as you’ll see lots of people do it, but try to have a better plan. I was barely 21 and was among friends at the time I let that happen. At 27 I guess it wouldn’t be so charming. Unlike Cleveland, heat-absorbing concrete and the warm glow of neon makes it totally possible to bum out while waiting for a train, and also there are trains to wait for and strength-in-numbers. But yeah, represent. At the very least know where the nearest Yoshinoya is located, but since Yoshinoya is a trusty mediocrity that can technically can be had in the US (NYC), have your regular meals at the izakayas.
I looked into it, and it seems that there are a bunch of temple-hotels in Mt. Koya. I only noticed the one I happened to stay in, which was very central. I think it went by the name of Daienin, but I’m not totally sure.
If you’re staying with a stranger, bring a small gift that represents something about where you’re from (classy Tribe paraphernalia). Bring a small cache of token gifts with you just in case.
From the LGFT department, the Yomiuri Giants have signed Masa Kobayashi and retain the legendary Alex Ramirez. I’m more of a Hanshin Tigers guy, but the Giants should be exciting to see for the simple reason that you’d know at least two of the players… but it’s kinda like rooting for the Yankees, isn’t it?
Just thrilling. ICBWGTGAFN.
Masa is a bad memory, A-Ram a false hope. Ramirez and Enrique Wilson’s names are forever etched into my “projected 2003 lineups” pantheon.
Yu Darvish is entering his 6th pro season. I guess that he’s a talent worth seeing. I dunno Nippon Baseball’s service time requirements. Daisuke pitched in 8 pro seasons before the sale.
I think it’s kind of interesting that top Japanese pitching prospects are customarily thrown right into the line of fire as 18 year olds. Although I suppose there’s isn’t much difference between Japanese baseball and double or triple A with regard to hitting talent, there’s a part of me that’d like to see every teenage Adam Miller get his shot before the arm (or finger) falls apart.
Speaking of representing. Ever been to the Arizona Memorial? A surprising number of visitors are Japanese. Let’s just say that their reputation for politeness and respect is overstated.
Resident LGT results-oriented boob.
If you’re staying with a stranger, bring a small gift that represents something about where you’re from (classy Tribe paraphernalia).
Stadium Mustard?
I looked it up out of curiosity. I’m 99% sure mustard is okay with customs, and I think it would be appreciated by your hosts. Cheese is potentially a good idea, since I found that good dairy products are hard to come by over there.
I also noticed that there’s a wikipedia page on Japanese etiquette. Take the time to study that before you go. Eventually it will all make sense.
Have fun.
In Communist Russia, Chris Gimenez is feared warrior.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 1, 2010 8:01 PM EST up reply actions
Overall, my suggestion is get a good basic plan in place, but give yourself a bit of flexibility to explore.
My friend and I are planning on arranging for a hotel in Tokyo for the first weekend we are there and then leaving the rest up in the air (we’ll be in Japan about 15 days) so that we can have more freedom on what direction we go. Hopefully it won’t turn into a complete disaster, but should be exciting nonetheless.
Thanks for the recommendations. I know that Roppongi and Shinjuku have “interesting” nightlife, but what other area would anyone recommend maybe spending one or more of the weekend nights at in Tokyo?
And I’ll defintely look into a hot spring as you said.
I wouldn’t leave your hotels to chance, especially if staying in Tokyo. It’s not like Europe where there is a culture of backbacking, or the US where you can throw your stuff in to the trunk. You’ll have to schlep it around. Why bother? You can get around Tokyo pretty easily from most places by public transport or taxi in a pinch. Will save your back. Also you can probably negotiate a better deal upfront for staying multiple days.
Buy a good travel guide. Try the “Rough Guides”, and read it weeks before you get on a plane. Seeing boneheads reading it for the for the first time on the plane over…uh really, they don’t use Euros or dollars and don’t tip?
BTW, it’s a no tipping society. You’ll like that part.When you get back to the US you’ll scratch your head when giving a fiver to the guy who calls a taxi for you.
Nightlife…try to get your friends to take you to a watering hole to see how Joe SixPack Japanese salaryman imbibes and lets off steam. Big cultural lesson in that.
by Bogalusa Bomber on Feb 1, 2010 2:23 AM EST up reply actions
I think I’ll take your tip about the hotels for at least our Tokyo stay, as you say schleping around luggage and possibly paying jacked up prices for a stay would be less than ideal. I really want to get out of Tokyo after the first week to see other areas, I’m definitely looking into some of the things you, jhon, and pat, have mentioned.
What I’m getting from this is that travel from one area to another is fairly quick, which is changing my thinking a bit on leaving too much flexibility in hotel arrangements. Looking over at the Japanese National Tourism Organization website, they mention Ryokan and Youth Hostels as options as well as traditional hotels.
Just ordered the rough guide you mentioned. Thanks for that tip as well.
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