I'm not sure how many parts there will be since, I think I will always find differences between Hiroshima and Orange County. But, this will begin the series.
Baseball! 野球 (Yakyou)
Tomo took me to my first Carps game. Baseball here is done a bit differently than Anaheim stadium. For one, on a weeknight, the stadium is packed! We watched the Hiroshima Carp play the Tokyo Giants.
The rules for the players are basically the same, but the cheering is diferent. When the home team is up to bat, the home team fans are chanting the whole time! The chants change depending on the batter, but they last until the third batter is out. Then, when the visiting team is up, they have their chants. And the whole crowd remains relatively silent in respect for the other team's fans.
The announcements are barely heard. They volume is just slightly above the normal din of the attending crowd so you have to really listen for it. There is no music to get people riled up, they're already riled up! See above...
There is kind of a seventh inning stretch. There is a song that I couldn't understand. And then, everyone release very inappropriately odd looking balloons that launch into the air and fall back down. Here is a video (Caution! - You may get pregnant if you watch it.):
When I was young, I remember seeing a quick glimpse of a baseball game in Japan. I remember the chanting, the standing, and the oneness of it all. I also remember they were eating - noodles? Yes, ramen noodels.
I had to get some. And you can't see it in the picture, but there is a beer to my right.
My first Carps game and I loved it!