Any Japanese baseball fans?

1,988 Views | 9 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by heddleston
heddleston
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AG
My time zone is GMT+3, so MLB games usually don't start until 3am. The Japanese, however, usually have first pitch around 1 in the afternoon for me, so I can catch a stream online while I eat lunch. A lot more bunting and everyone uses a 6 man rotation (with games Tuesday thru Sunday, always rest on Monday) but the atmosphere at games looks like a ton of fun and the fans get really into it. I follow/root for the Hanshin Tigers(of the Central League)mostly, but am looking to keep up with a team in the Pacific League this year as well. Opening day is on the 30th, look into it and pick you a team!
TexAgs1992
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I don't follow NPB at all but I do follow the KBO league a little bit since my sister lives in Seoul. I've been to a LG Twins game and a SK Wyverns game. The atmosphere at both was much more animated and engaging than an MLB regular season game. Fans chanting and singing songs like a soccer game. Another positive is that you can bring in your own food and drink (including alcohol).
Seven Costanza
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I've been to a few games and I agree that it is a totally different experience. The crowds chant throughout the game. There's a pep band that sits in the outfield. They have cheerleaders. And the beer girls are always cute (albeit with the worst teeth on the planet). It's definitely something to check out if you are visiting Japan.
BarryProfit
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Google tells me that said beers girls walk around with mini kegs in their backpacks and pour fresh drafts of beer?
heddleston
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Also some stadiums allow BYOB and almost all let you bring food in as well.
Mr.Ackar07
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TexAgs1992 said:

I don't follow NPB at all but I do follow the KBO league a little bit since my sister lives in Seoul. I've been to a LG Twins game and a SK Wyverns game. The atmosphere at both was much more animated and engaging than an MLB regular season game. Fans chanting and singing songs like a soccer game. Another positive is that you can bring in your own food and drink (including alcohol).
Brooks Raley (former two-way player for the Aggies) plays for the Lotte Giants. Tell her if she ever runs across any KBO baseball cards of Brooks in Seoul, to pick one up for me!
_lefraud_
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I've got a side gig where I get to see a ton of NPB and KBO and I've really gotten into it.
falcon09
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Got a chance to go to a Tokyo Yakult Swallows game last year while TDY at Yakota Air Base.

The best thing I could come up with to explain the atmosphere was a rivalry Texas high school football game. All of the fans had a set of plastic bats for noise makers and every time the Swallows scored the fans did a little "dance" with their umbrellas (everyone in Tokyo carries an umbrella). The beer girls did in fact carry mini keg backpacks so they could poor a fresh draft right there in the stands.



My only complaint was that the stadium built in 1920's Japan was not designed to accommodate 6'3" Americans with broad shoulders

Go, Go Swallows!
Gil Renard
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Can you watch online?
Gil Renard
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Also no disrespect
heddleston
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as far as i know there's no legitimate way to watch it outside of Japan. that said, i look up the name of my team written in japanese, and copy/paste it into the search bar on YouTube and filter it for live streams. more often than not theres a stream going. same goes for highlights.

It can be difficult to keep up with when you dont speak Japanese, so i read up on www.reddit.com/r/nbp for news and links to highlights and also found a pretty good fan blog written by a Canadian who lives in Osaka for Tigers coverage. Many of the teams have an English site or blog like that.
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