On my last day in Japan, we went to Hiroshima -- thinking we would explore the city and a park/garden we hadn't been to yet. But, as soon as we got off the bullet train, we guessed the Hiroshima Carp were in town playing at the local Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium. Yes, that's what the stadium is really called. The baseball jerseys were everywhere. So, we decided to check it out and see if we could score tickets. And, luckily, there were tickets available and we got to see a Japanese major league baseball game for the first time. A previously big TO DO on my list.
SO MUCH FUN. The Japanese only really cheer and get excited when their team is up to bat; otherwise they're quiet and let the opposing fans have their turn when the home team is out in the field. But wow, do the Japanese cheer. I mean, there's a unique cheer/song/dance routine/trumpet score for each player. We couldn't understand any of it, but it's just fun to get caught up in it. The beer girls have kegs for backpacks, every fan (and that meant us) had miniature bats and banged them together for the entire game, and the fans tried (unsuccessfully) to do the YMCA but managed (successfully) to simultaneously let off hundreds of phallic pink balloons in the seventh inning.
In the end, the Hiroshima Carp got crushed. Apparently, they're last in the division. Ah well.
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