Typhoon Jongdari

Typhoon Jongdari

On July 28, 2018

We have been anticipating the arrival of Typhoon Jongdari since Monday. The various paths had it hitting close to Yokosuka.

Regardless, of the actual path, we were expecting strong winds and heavy rain by 3:00 pm on Saturday.

The heavy rain actually started around 3:30 pm and is expected to continue through the night.

The storm pulled all the moisture out of the area. As a result, the weather on Friday was delightful. Less humid and lower temperatures. It was a great night for baseball. Dave and I went to the Yokosuka Baystars AAA baseball game Friday night with a group of people from his work.

Red Sox and Cubs represented.

The biggest cheering section of the game! They were hysterical!

This morning, the weather still wasn’t terrible. The humidity had returned and it was a little drizzly. Zushi Beach was deserted. The Beach cabanas were packed up in preparation for the incoming storm.

The storm doesn’t seem to be too bad. We have experienced worse. I think we will weather Typhoon Jongdari just fine!

Tokyo Giants Baseball

By wabisabisole

On August 2, 2017

In Baseball, Japan, Tokyo, Tokyo Giants, Yokohama Baystars

Thank you for the outpouring of love, support, and congratulations shared yesterday. Dave and I truly appreciate the kind words. I’m happy I could share his promotion with you. Thank you.

Meanwhile, back in Japan… I’m almost caught up to real time. Which is good, because on Thursday Dave and I are taking a trip to Kyoto. I will have so much more to share!

Saturday, July 29th, Dave and I went to the Tokyo Giants baseball game at the Tokyo Dome. The Tokyo Giants were playing the Yokohama Baystars. The Dome from the outside is impressive! The roller coasters and rides in the background are part of the Tokyo Dome City – an amusement park.

From a distance the sunflowers looked amazing. Upon closer inspection they were even more amazing! They are fake flowers that are actually water misters! Perfect for a hot summer day in Tokyo. Plus, they are kawaii!! (As you can tell by the pictures, it was cloudy and drizzly so the misters weren’t needed too much today.)

There is an American Baseball store right by the Tokyo Dome with all the American team’s logos. I paused to pose in my favorite t-shirt’s team. I mean next to my favorite baseball team. Go Brewers!

There were so many people entering the stadium!

We had a group of SRF sailors join us for the game. The orange towels were the free gift of the game. They made GQ ties for the gents!

The Dome was impressive and perfect. It was mildly air conditioned and it prevented a rain delay!

My friend, Sonia, also joined us for the game. Originally from the San Fransisco area, she sported her SF Giants gear with Giants Pride.

At halftime (?), we went on a hotdog run.

A hotdog with potato chips, BBQ sauce, and a side of fries. Yes, please! Because, Japan.

It was a very fun night. The Giants baseball game at the Dome seemed less animated than the Yokohama Baystars game. The biggest difference was that they didn’t have the balloons during the seventh inning stretch. Simultaneously, the crowd didn’t seem as excited, even though the Giants were winning throughout the entire game. All in all, it was a fun night. Japanese baseball is an experience. If you are brave enough to visit during the summer, I’ll make sure we catch a game! “Put me in coach…”

Yokohama Baystars

By wabisabisole

On April 16, 2017

In Baseball, Beer, Culture, Edamame, Japan, Yokohama, Yokohama Baystars

Dave and I went to the Yokohama Baystars baseball game on Saturday afternoon. This was our second time to a Japanese baseball game. We went last summer shortly after we arrived. It was funny to read my previous post. It truly seems like forever ago and that I was still in a jetlag haze. This experience was so much easier!

It was a beautiful day and I was able to take a few pictures of the flower gardens surrounding the stadium. The tulips were stunning.

Unfortunately, the Baystars lost. They are actually off to a rough start this year. It still was a fun day with my favorite liberty buddy.

Despite the lose, the game is entertaining on so many other levels. Including the always happy beer girls.

Not only have they perfected the art of the perfect pour, they climb up and down the stairs the entire game. All while carrying a pony keg on their back and smiling. Plus, they look perfect! They pin their hats to stay in place and their makeup is flawless! I can only imagine how strong their legs are by the end of the season!!

The other entertainment is the constant chanting for each batter. It is constant regardless of who is at bat. The highlight is during the seventh inning stretch. Everyone releases blue balloons.

The other treat is as the food options. Because we are in Japan, edamame is always an option. And always a good one!

Another cultural difference is how clean the stadium is after the game. Attendees are expected to put their garbage in the garbage cans. The stadium is very tidy, for the most part, after the game. Imagine expecting Americans to put their trash in the trash can!

The Japanese baseball schedule follows the American schedule very closely. Please consider that if you are interested in attending a game when you visit.

Japanese Baseball

By wabisabisole

On August 14, 2016

In Baseball, Japan, Yokohama, Yokohama Baystars

Today we traveled up to Yokohama to watch the Yokohama Baystars, a Japanese baseball team in the Central League.

Despite having our license, the train system is much easier to navigate. Simultaneously, parking in Japan is a HUGE challenge. And considering we are going to a baseball game & we will undeniably have a beer, it was a safer option to take the train.

A little bit about Yokohama. The population of Yokohama is 3.7 million making it the largest populated city in Japan. It is located about 30 minutes, by train, from where we will live and a little less than half way to Tokyo. Yokohama has many areas that I will definitely need to visit and discover.

The Ferris Wheel and Cup of Noodle Museum will definitely be on my list to explore.

I took a picture of a pedestrian bridge in Yokohama. If you notice, there are no crosswalks and actually railings to prevent pedestrians from crossing the street. Instead, pedestrians climb 2 flights of stairs and take a “sky bridge.” It is actually quite lovely. To me this picture truly illustrates the “wa” of Japan. Pedestrian friendly alternatives to crossing a busy road (although the road doesn’t look too busy in this picture). Also, please look closely the picture and notice the Pikachu in the background. Apparently, there was a Pikachu Party going on in Yokohama because this was the third one we saw.

We arrived in Yokohama with enough time to walk around the city a little and also visit Chinatown. The area was HUGE! We will definitely need to make a return trip to see more of the area.

After a day of exploring we finally arrive at Yokohama Stadium.

Attending the game was an experience and so much fun. Much more fun than a boring stuffing American baseball game. To start, the stadium was packed the entire game. It even went into an extra inning and the stadium remained full. Second, the fans are engaged and cheer for their team and more specifically their batter the entire time they are up at bat. Each batter has a song or chat that is tailored to their name that is sung by their fans. There are actually “cheering sections” for each team who are responsible for leading the cheers. If you notice in the picture below, the opposing team is wearing red and the home team is wearing blue.