Greetings friends. This month I would like to begin a two-part series of articles on Japanese baseball. I would like to begin by giving an overview of my impressions of the game as it is played over here. Next month I will be relaying some of the results of interviews with Japanese friends on the differences between US and Japanese baseball. As always, if you have any particular questions or issues you would like me to address, send them my way. I want these articles to be as interactive as possible! Write to me care of Rudy and Sarah Heller, PO Box 367, Brookfield. Or, email me directly at: <danielh@grad.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp> I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Recently soccer has been coming on very strong in Japan, much like we've seen in the US. Nonetheless, baseball (and Sumo wriestling of couse) still remains a huge sport in Japan. In addition to twelve professional teams, there is a lot of national coverage of high school and college games. Also, United States Major League Baseball has long been popular in Japan too. And now that Japanese pitching sensation Hideo Nomo, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has performed so well, there is even more coverage in Japan of the US big leagues. So far this year, every single one of Nomo's games has been shown on national TV here. Too bad fans in the US don't get the same coverage of US stars who are playing in Japan! Just in case your wondering, after missing the first few weeks of the season, Mike Greenwell, who played for the Boston Red Sox last year, is knocking the cover off the ball over here.

One thing which has really struck me is that there are many all-dirt infields in Japan. (Not to mention the countless artificial turf surfaces over here.) Why? Well, recall that there are 120 million people living in Japan, a country about the size of the state of Claifornia. So, land is scare and expensive. As a result compared with the number of people playing baseball, there are relatively few baseball fields. The few ball fields that there are invariably get used quite a bit. Just as moss won't grow on a rolling rock, grass won't grow on a field which is in use 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, 50 weeks a year.

Another sight which can't be missed is how the fans act at baseball games. In the stands, crowds always seem to be doing exactly the same thing all in unison. Whacking noise makers together, clapping, and yelling out the team cheers in one unified voice (invariably to the accompianment of trumpets and drums.) These are all big parts of the Japanese baseball experience. How, and why, do Japanese fans act like this? Well first of all, its fun. (This may be something one needs to experience to really understand.) And second, its not just some natural ability of Japanese fans to cheer together, there is lots of help. Every section of seats has someone who stands in front and acts like a conductor, someone who leads the cheers, in short, a cheerleader.

Having to watch the cheerleader may seem distracting, especially after having paid big bucks to see the game. But, it's not as bad as it sounds. When I went to a game over here a few years ago, I found myself yelling and making noise right in step with all the rest. It was easy, and I had a great time. After working up a sweat rooting for the home team, I got kind of hungry. However, instead of having a hotdog and peanuts though, I had a bowl of ramen and squid on a stick. Mmm, yum-yum. If you ever find yourself in Japan (and I hope you do!), I highly recommend taking in a ballgame. Even if you don't know a lick about baseball, you're guarenteed to have a good time. On that note, I hope peace is with you this month. Let's talk again in 30 days.