Hanshin Tigers Baseball Game

     Last week Mr. Tanaka one of Fumiko's English students, treated us to a Hanshin Tigers Baseball game at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka.  Apparently the Tigers are a little like the Toronto Maple Leafs, even when they are having a losing season, which they are this year, plenty of fans turn out. In August they don't use Koshien Stadium their real home, as it is being used for high school tournaments.  Baseball is huge here!


     Mr. Tanaka picked us up in Ikoma City and drove us to Osaka.  As we got close to the downtown, I could see other parts of Osaka that I had visited before - Osaka Castle and the big Japan Public Television building (like our CBC).  Parts of the city are right out of the Jetsons.  Raised highways, monorails, trains, subways, hidden ancient gardens, little shrines, cultured trees, crazy lights, and long narrow covered street malls.  So exciting.

 

We didn't park here - Over $10.00 each 25 minutes!

 

 

There was a band for each team. 

It's a real family outing.

 

We parked close to the stadium and found our seats - 11th row up from the field. By the way, if you walk in with a water or pop bottle from outside the stadium, the staff KINDLY pour it into a big sturdy paper cup for you instead of throwing it out!  Century 21 was doing a promo and all women got a gift bag with a fan, and a Hanshin Tigers/Century 21 seat cushion.  Next we got food and drinks.  I chose (I hate to say it) a KFC sandwich over the octopus dumplings that Fumiko and Mr. Tanaka chose.  Then I ordered an ice cold Asahi Dry draft from a beer-seller.  They wear a soft keg back-pack and have a gun-spout they pour into your cup.  They go down on their knees on the stadium step so as not to stand in the fans' way as they pour your drink.  And no tipping.

Everyone chants and sings and bangs plastic bats together for the whole game. To prepare for the seventh inning stretch, you have to blow up an enormously long balloon with a plastic whistle/mouthpiece. Then everyone lets them go at once.  They whistle and whirl around the stadium.  Awesome fun.

Unfortunately, the Tigers lost to the Dragons.