野球 Baseball

 The view from our seats.

Last Sunday, little dude and I took the subway down to Tokyo Dome for the Yomiuri Giants - Hiroshima Carp game. I don't really have a baseball loyalty in Japan, and there are five teams in the expanded Tokyo metro area, so I picked the Giants as they are generally a winning team. No luck. Although the Giants are doing generally well this year, my lifelong streak of picking losing baseball teams (see also: Chicago Cubs, KC Royals) followed us to a 10-3 final score. At least my KU Jayhawks win in NCAA hoops, and my Green Bay Packers can represent in the NFL, so all is not lost in sports.

 Tickets.

 This wasn't my first Japanese baseball game (Joe and I attended a Yokohama Baystars game years ago), but it was my first sporting event in a dome. While it was nice to not have to worry about sunburn, it was a bit stuffy inside, and I missed the ambiance of the outdoors.

 Sushi concessions. 

The concessions were fairly diverse- from sushi and bentos to hot dogs and hamburgers. There were beer vendors, but also those selling whiskey and plum wine. Taking after his grandpa, little dude attempted to eat his weight in churros. I enjoyed a pretzel.

 Let's go Giants!

Rirakuma towel, noisemaker, and tickets.

Cheering for your team in Japan is definitely a specialized, intense activity. The Carp had full bands and a routine with small plastic bats that all of their fans knew and did in unison. The Giants have a towel swinging thing when they score- which little dude was sooooo excited to participate in. We bought a towel on our way in to be able to partake, and he did so. With gusto. So much so that he hit the girl sitting next to him with the towel (she took it in stride, thankfully), and nearly fell out of his seat, making friends with the girls in front of us. 

 Giants fans doing the towel dance.

Going to a baseball game was a great way to celebrate the start of summer, a fun way to experience something different in Tokyo, and it was fun to teach little man about the game. Thankfully he is still trying to understand the basics, so my limited knowledge of the rules still holds sway. We'll see how long that holds true for....