Hanshin Tigers vs Hiroshima Toyo Carp

The Hanshin Tigers are one of the oldest baseball teams in Japan – founded in 1935. They’re also our local team! So this Monday, Emma and I went to Koshien to watch them play the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

We arrived nice and early and had a look in the official shop where I got myself a Tiger’s shirt! I asked a staff member which one to get, and she recommended number 7 – Nishioka. After my spending spree, with plenty of time to spare we enjoyed a beer outside in the sun. You aren’t allowed to take cans into the stadium, but a nice staff member will pour your drink into a paper cup for you.

As we got to our seats, the mascots appeared to get the crowd psyched up.

It wasn’t long before the players appeared to warm up. And then the game was in full swing! The Carp scored in the first inning, but the Tigers didn’t – Nishioka was caught out before he got to first base 🙁 the Carp were strong fielders! Second was much better, with the Tigers scoring four and Carp zero. Then it was all quiet until the sixth where the Carp scored a further three to level.

Carp up to bat…

One of the beer girls, they wear a backpack and serve you beer for ¥600 through a squirty gun, I need one of those backpacks.

Go, Tigers!

At the start of the “lucky” seventh inning, everyone in the home-stands inflate balloons and launch them into the air. Get ready…

Go!!! So cool. A small army of stadium staff appeared after to clear the field of all the balloons, which they did impressively fast.

No scores in the seventh, one for the Tigers in the eighth… but two for the Carp in the ninth.

Totals: Carp: 6, Tigers: 5. Too bad, but both teams played well.

Despite the loss, it was still so much fun, and we made some new friends! Here’s me and my two of them, Masahide and Takeshi! I felt very lucky to be accepted by these diehard fans 🙂

Koshien isn’t too far from Nishinomiya, so a trip to Awajishima Burger ended the day. Amazing as always!

I’m looking forward to going to another Tigers game soon!