Japanese baseball

If you’re in Japan even for just a short time in the summer months, I definitely recommend seeing a baseball game. They’re great fun and good for the whole family.

The atmosphere is completely different from a U.S. baseball game. For a start there’s a band for each team that plays whenever their team is batting. Everyone sings along, with each player having his own version of a song. Even if you don’t speak any Japanese, you’ll soon pick up some key words and be able to sing along.

The best and most fun seats at my favorite team”s stadium (Yokohama Baystars) are the bleachers. They’re about 1800 yen (about $17), so they’re great value. It’s a nice outdoor stadium, but if they’re playing one of the big teams (Hanshin Tigers, Yomiuri Giants) you probably want to get there an hour or two before the game starts so you can buy tickets. The great thing about Japan is that it is so safe you can usually leave your stuff on the seats you want to save and come back when the game starts - no one will move your stuff and take your seat! But like U.S. baseball games you can get food (Japanese food or hotdogs) and buy beer from the beer boys/girls.

So if you’re in Tokyo/Yokohama area in baseball season, why don’t you see if the Baystars are playing? You can check out their schedule at:

http://www.japanesebaseball.com/teams/schedule.jsp?Team=YOK&Year=2008