Baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium

As I wrote in the previous post, hubby and I had been to our home in Ichinomiya City during the Golden Week Holidays. On our way to Ichinomiya, we stayed overnight in Tokyo area where we saw a baseball game and visited a few sightseeing spots. On 29th April, after reaching Tokyo Railway Station, we went to a hotel in Nihonbashi district of Chuo Ward in Tokyo where we stayed that night. We checked in at the hotel at about 6 pm, and immediately left to see a professional baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium.

The professional baseball game held at Meiji Jingu Stadium on 29th April was a night game. Meiji Jingu Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo that opened in 1926 and can hold 37933 people. It is the second oldest baseball stadium in Japan. It is the property of Meiji Jingu Shrine and is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team. On 29th April, the game was played between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams. Baseball is probably the most popular sport in Japan. There are two professional baseball leagues in Japan; the Central League and the Pacific League, each consisting of six teams. Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams both belong to the Central League.

We had already purchased two tickets for the baseball game at a convenience store in Akita. The tickets cost 4300 Yen per person. The game of 29th April was a night game that started at 6 pm. We started from our hotel in Nihonbashi district at about 5.45 pm, and took a subway train to reach Gaienmae Railway Station in Tokyo area. From the station, we walked for about 10 minutes and reached the entrance gate of Meiji Jingu Stadium. I was very surprised to see that the stadium was rather small. Although it was a night game, we noted that there were many people near the entrance area of the stadium and there was festive mood all around. We appreciated the architecture of the stadium building for some time, and after taking a few photos of the stadium entrance and its surroundings, we entered the stadium at about 6.45 pm. The minute we entered inside the stadium, we were transported to a different world altogether.

I am standing in front of Meiji Jingu Stadium

Hubby standing in front of the stadium

View inside the stadium

We bought a few snacks from a food stall located inside Meiji Jingu Stadium building and settled in our seats. We were a bit late and the baseball game between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams was already in progress. We noted that the stadium was open-air and rather small. Our seats overlooked the stadium and the whole field was visible. We loved viewing the interior architecture of the small and clean stadium. We also loved the atmosphere inside the stadium where a huge crowd of people had gathered to watch the game and excitedly cheer for their favorite team. From our seats, we could clearly see the bullpen of Tokyo Yakult Swallows team where the relief pitcher or the next batter warmed up. In addition, we saw many pretty beer vendor girls who went up and down the aisles carrying a keg of beer on their back and sold draft beer to the spectators. The festive mood inside the stadium was exhilarating.

The crowd to our right side inside the stadium

View inside the stadium right in front of us

View inside the stadium to our left side

I am sitting on my seat and enjoying the game

Hubby clicking photos of the game

Bullpen of Tokyo Yakult Swallows team

Two beer vendor girls carrying kegs of beer on their back

It was very interesting and enjoyable to watch the game. Several times during different short breaks in the game, many cute Tokyo Yakult Swallows cheerleaders danced to the team’s theme song on the field at the stadium. We also saw the team’s mascot characters named Tsubakuro (a male) and Tsubami (a female, likely the little sister of Tsubakuro), which are black swallows with red faces. We loved the cheerful atmosphere inside the stadium where the fans cheered non-stop for their favorite team. I would like to mention here that attending a baseball game in Japan involves active participation of the spectators and fans in cheering their beloved team. For me the most fun part was enjoying this uniquely coordinated non-stop cheering and singing by the fans. In addition, there was highly choreographed and rhythmic cheering by Oendan cheering squad, and their cheering and singing continued throughout the game. The fans of the batting team chanted, sang, and rhythmically banged plastic bats. Their synchronized roar dominated the stadium. The fans of the team in the field maintained a respectful silence that was interrupted only by a wave of applause after a good defensive play. It was really fun to watch orange colored jersey-shirt wearing Yomiuri Giants as well as white-striped or lime-green colored jersey-shirt wearing Tokyo Yakult Swallows Oendan squads and fans energetically cheer for their favorite teams from their respective outfield seating sections. In addition, the fans of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows cheered for their team by opening colorful little umbrellas and singing the team song. Waving of colorful umbrellas by all the fans was a wonderful sight to behold. Also, since it was a home game for Tokyo Yakult Swallows, the cheering for the team was also carried out by colorful encouraging displays flashing up on the scoreboard.

Cute Tokyo Yakult Swallows cheerleaders dancing energetically to the song of the team

Enlarged view of a few cheerleaders dancing

The mascot characters Tsubakuro and Tsubami also dancing to the team song

Enlarged view of Tsubakuro

Colorful encouraging display flashed up on the scoreboard cheering the home team

Tokyo Yakult Swallows Oendan squad and fans wearing white-striped or lime-green colored jersey shirts cheering for their beloved team

Another photo of coordinated cheering by Tokyo Yakult Swallows fans

The fans and supporters waving little umbrellas

Yomiuri Giants Oendan squad and fans wearing orange colored jersey shirts cheering for their favorite players

Another photo of coordinated cheering by Yomiuri Giants fans

It was very interesting to watch the game also. As the game progressed, the atmosphere in the stadium got hotter and stronger, and the fans cheered non-stop for their team. The fans have an immense love for their team and an endless reserve of energy. We clicked a few photos of batter Yamada Tetsuo, batter Wladimir Balentien, batter Ohbiki Keiji, batter Sakaguchi Tomotaka, pitcher Ishikawa Masanori, and pitcher Logan Ondrusek of Tokyo Yakult Swallows team. We also clicked a few more photos of batter Garrett Jones, batter Chono Hisayoshi, batter Sakamoto Hayato, and pitcher Miyaguni Ryosuke of Yomiuri Giants team. Below are some photos of the above-mentioned batters and pitchers from both the teams. In addition, I also compiled animated GIF photos of all the above batters and pitchers. It is fun to watch these animated GIF photos.

Baseball game between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams in progress at Meiji Jingu Stadium

Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Yamada Tetsuo

Another photo of the batter in action

Yet another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Wladimir Balentien

Another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Ohbiki Keiji

Another photo of the batter in action

Yet another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Sakaguchi Tomotaka

Another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Tokyo Yakult Swallows pitcher Ishikawa Masanori

Another photo of the pitcher in action

Yet another photo of the pitcher in action

Animated GIF photo of the pitcher in action

Tokyo Yakult Swallows pitcher Logan Ondrusek

Another photo of the pitcher in action

Yet another photo of the pitcher in action

Animated GIF photo of the pitcher in action

Yomiuri Giants batter Garrett Jones

Another photo of the batter in action

Yet another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Yomiuri Giants batter Chono Hisayoshi

Another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Yomiuri Giants batter Sakamoto Hayato

Another photo of the batter in action

Animated GIF photo of the batter in action

Yomiuri Giants pitcher Miyaguni Ryosuke

Another photo of the pitcher in action

Yet another photo of the pitcher in action

Animated GIF photo of the pitcher in action

That day Tokyo Yakult Swallows beat Yomiuri Giants 4-1 in 9 innings. The home team fans and supporters were very excited and there was celebratory mood all around inside the stadium. Cheering and clapping of fans filled the stadium, and it felt nice to be surrounded by fans in so happy mood. Hero interviews and other ceremonies were over by 9 pm. Afterwards the atmosphere inside the stadium calmed down, and everyone packed up their belongings and shuffled out of the stadium. After some time, we also left the stadium.

Scoreboard inside the stadium indicating that Tokyo Yakult Swallows beat Yomiuri Giants 4-1 in 9 innings

Hero interviews of Tokyo Yakult Swallows players in progress

I enjoyed the game very much

We left Meiji Jingu Stadium at about 9.15 pm and walked back to Gaienmae Railway Station from where we took a train and returned to the hotel in Nihonbashi district where we stayed that night. On reaching our hotel room, we immediately retired to bed as we were rather tired due to all the travel and excitement of watching the professional baseball game. We had so much fun.

Hubby purchasing train tickets at Gaienmae Railway Station for returning to Nihonbashi Station