Yakyuu・野球

I have never seen a game of baseball (or Yakyuu 野球, as it is known in Japan) until this week. Baseball is not very popular in Germany but it is the biggest sport in Japan. But even here, I never had the opportunity to watch a game. Until this Wednesday. I was invited by co-workers of mine and was eager to know what all the fuss is about. After work, I made my way to the Tokyo Dome.

Tokyo dome is located in central Tokyo, right next to an amusement park.

Today, the Yomiuri Giants played vs. the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Both teams are from Tokyo. There was a huge merchandise shop for the Tokyo Giants so I believe the Tokyo Dome is their home arena.

The building is quite large, it took me a while to walk around it, since I arrived on a site opposite to the entrance. On the way, I passed by the Tokyo Giants fan shop and checked out the shirts, hats and towels (but didn't buy any).

I have walked past the Tokyo Dome many times, but never knew it had this impressive design.

Cheering for the Tokyo Giants.

Arriving inside and seeing the crowed getting ready for the game.

The game itself was rather slow I felt, but that is maybe how it is supposed to be. One of my coworkers explained the game rules to me, and I tried to follow the happenings below. On this evening, I witnessed 5 home runs in total, which I was told is a lot for a baseball game. All in all, a nice experience, although I used the time more to connect with colleagues, then watching the actual game. ;)