Japanese Baseball

Old Apr 2nd, 2006, 10:52 PM
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Japanese Baseball

Hi everyone,

I've been looking at the schedules for the Giants and the Tigers to see if we can go to a game in either Tokyo or Osaka. I know that there are other teams in Tokyo, but I've read that they aren't as popular as the Giants. Should we be considering them anyway?

Thanks,
Judy
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 12:38 AM
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Hi Judy,

As you've got info, yes, Giants is team which has the hugest fan in Japan, and
Tigers is the second.
It may sound wierd but,
Japanese people can be categorized into Giants's fan or "Anti-Giants".
There are many people who don't have special favorite team but are strongly "Anti-Giants".
That's why Giants' games are always full.
From general point of view incld. me,
the match of Giants vs Tigers is the best to watch ever.
If you can see that match in Osaka,
it would be much better,
coz Osaka is Tigers home ground,
and you can experience enthusiastic rooting by Tigers' fans.
If the opponent is not Tigers, I recommend to see Giants' game in Tokyo.
When will you come to Japan?
I think I can help you with scheduling.

Have a good day!
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 02:09 AM
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cigdem,

From everything I've read and seen, I would really like to try to see a Tigers game in Osaka. Although we're not avid baseball fans, it seems like it would definitely be a very different experience than Dodger games in Los Angeles. But, in my 4 different itinerary versions (so far), I haven't been able to work in a Tigers game in Osaka. It's possible though that we could go to a Tigers-Giants game in Tokyo. Depending on which itinerary we go with, we might only have the opportunity on one day (8/3) and I'm worried that we may not be able to get tickets as we will just arrive in Tokyo that day. This is why I was wondering about other options. If we miss the Tigers-Giants games, we could try to see a Giants-Bay Stars game or a Swallows-Dragons game instead (8/4-6). Would these games be the same kind of different experience that I'm anticipating?

Also, is there a big difference in ticket prices for the various games?

Thanks!
Judy

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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 06:55 AM
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From what I have read, Swallows games can be fun too. The Swallows fans do this umbrella thing to show their excitement- when Swallows score they open blue and green umbrellas. Meiji Jingu stadium is outdoors, though, and it will be hot in August.

Here is a sight that will help you with getting to that stadium or any Japanese stadium, and give you some info on the teams. Although the site was created in 2002, the stadium and direction info is still good.

http://ww1.baywell.ne.jp/fpweb/drlat...me/seegame.htm

I have only seen two games, a Giants/Tigers one at Tokyo Dome, and a Buffaloes/Tigers one at Osaka Dome. Both were so good that we are going back into Tokyo from Kyoto on our last night on our upcoming trip, to see the Giants and Togers play again. The Tigers fans were the craziest of the three teams we saw. But if you can't make that game the first night, I'd probably still go to a different evening game.

I beleive there is ticket and pricing info on the first site I gave you, www.japanesebaseball.com
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 10:13 AM
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Hi emd (got to get used to calling you Eileen too!),

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide me with info, especially since I'm sure you're busy with your last minute things before Friday. Have a good trip! Can't wait to hear about it after your return.

Anyway, just wanted to clarify one thing you said. You said that if we can't get to the Tigers-Giants game the first night, we should still try to go to another night game. Are you talking specifically about another Giants game? We could try to go to either a Giants game or a Swallows game since their each playing in their home stadiums on the same nights.

Since I'm still in the very flexible planning stage, is it worth mixing things around so that we can try to see a Tigers game in Osaka?

Thanks! And, I'll look for those ticket prices.

Judy
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 11:13 AM
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Judy, I looked at the schedule and I guess you are talking about doing the trip later and being able to see the Tigers vs. the BayStars at Osaka Dome. If it was me, I would try to see the Tigers in Osaka if possible. We went from Kyoto, and it was easy to get there. But then I am a big baseball fan and I really got into the Tigers. If you read my trip report from last year, you'll see that my son and I wore Tigers stuff (headwrap, cap, short "robe", etc/) and bought noisemakers and sat in the great $10 outfeild fan section seats at Osaka Dome. The fans were just wild, and this was a 1 pm game in middle of the week! My son and I were the only gaijin in the fan section,. They put the camera on us and put us up on the big screen in the Dome. The Japanese Tiger's fans were high-5'ing us after the game at Tokyo Dome too. So yes, I am a real Tiger's fan.

If you just can't see the Tigers, then I'd opt to see another game though. Mrwunrfl has seen several other games besides the Tigers and enjoyed them all I think. He can probably speak to the fan activity at those other games, and I know he also saw the Tigers at Koshien stadium last May so he can maybe help compare other team's fans to the Tigers.

No problem about the time- I am not working as much this week, just trying to wrap up things before the trip. And I love thinking about that game btwn the Tigers and the Giants that my daughter and I will get to see at Tokyo Dome on 4/22, the night before we depart to come home. What a great way to end a trip to Japan.

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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 02:18 PM
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You'll certainly get the full experience of a j-ball game by going to the game at Jingu or Yokohama. Might be smaller scale than a Giants game at Tokyo Dome, though, but it will be a lot of fun. Sit in right field.

I saw the Tigers at Koshien and their fans are nuts. The Hawks fans at Fukuoka Hawks Dome are similarly wacko. The Carp fans make the stadium in Hiroshima rock and, in Yokohama, they actually out-cheered the Bay Stars fans.
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 03:39 PM
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emd & mrwunrfl,

Okay, looks like I'm going to try to work up a 5th version to be able to include Tigers at Osaka. My BF and I saw a program on TV last week that showed a guy spending a day in Osaka. He went to a Tigers game which is what made me get more interested and they showed all the places this guy went to eat which got my BF more interested in visiting Osaka.

I'm glad to hear though that if it doesn't work out, we'll be able to go to a different game (different teams, different stadium) and still have the kind of experience I'm hoping for.

Thanks!
Judy
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 04:00 PM
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emd,

Just looked at the Tigers schedule and I might have to work up a 5th AND 6th itinerary. We could possibly try to go to a Tigers game in Koshien on 7/29 or one in Osaka Dome on 8/15.

If we went to a game on 7/29, would we need to spend the night in Osaka? Or would it be possible to go to Kyoto after the game? It would work out much better if we could be in Kyoto early on 7/30 for a possible day tour (Kyoto & Nara). Then again, maybe it would be better not to go to Nara on a weekend. This is changing the subject completely (train of thought), but would Nara be too crowded on a weekend? I just thought that since Sunday would be our first day in Kyoto, an introductory tour would be nice. Maybe I could split it up and do a 1/2 day Kyoto tour on Sunday and do the 1/2 day Nara tour on Monday or Tuesday.

Hmmm...
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 04:38 PM
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mrwunrfl went to a game at Koshien from Kyoto and then went back to Kyoto. It isn't that hard. He should be able to give you help w/getting there (and I think I have directions too, as I was planning on going to the famous high school championships there last March but I didn't make it there due to rain; and I would have been coming from and going back to Kyoto also).

Koshien is a nice classic outdoor stadium. I think there is a staute of Babe Ruth there, as he played there once if I am recalling correctly.

I have not been to Nara (and am not going on this trip either). Someone else will need to help you there. But from what I have read, I don't think you want to do a day where you tour Kyoto and then tour Nara in one day. Either one or the other would be a good day for me.
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 04:40 PM
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correction: it is a plaque at Koshien, not a statue.
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 04:45 PM
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Hi emd,

I actually ended up answering my own question about the Kyoto/Nara tour. I was looking at the JTB/Sunrise tour that hits spots in Kyoto in the morning and then goes to Nara in the afternoon. It's a full day tour (9a-7p), but seemed reasonable. Anyway, after looking at the tour details again, I realized that it would be better not to do the Kyoto tour on a Sunday regardless of baseball games since the Imperial Palace would be closed and an alternate sight would be replaced.

Okay, now I'm getting into this planning thing! I just hope that it's not going to be for nothing like my Germany itinerary that will be saved for another day.

Thanks,
Judy
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Old Apr 3rd, 2006, 10:11 PM
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We took JR to get to Koshien (I forget which stop) and then a taxi from the station to the ballpark. The stadium is a bowl (no decks, you can walk a stairway from the field straight to the edge of the stadium).
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Old Apr 13th, 2006, 08:23 AM
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Is it possible to become attacked by a rabid fan? Thanks
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Old Apr 13th, 2006, 03:41 PM
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I went to the Tigers/Dragons game at Koshien stadium last night and managed to escape without being attacked.

This was a much better experience than the Buffaloes/Marines game I went to last year at Skymark stadium. Our tickets cost Y3,500 each.
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