Part 1. Baseball
Football or Baseball? In Europe people will just think you are kidding when you try to approach them with this kind of question and they might expect you to tell them some funny joke, but here in the Far East it is something completely different. And actually, it's not that easy to answer this question.
The Japanese are of course just as sports-mad and sports-loving as almost all other nations and have put their own unique stamp on the sports world on many occasions.
Not only the traditional national sport sumo wrestling has made it into the international spotlight, but even more the various martial arts sports have shaped the image of the island kingdom among athletes and fans.
Judo, Karate and Aikido, but also much more, have started an impressive triumphal march and now inspire followers all over the world.
But although local sports in Japan have a very long tradition, sometimes dating back many centuries, and have even become part of the local cultural heritage, it is not the martial arts that have the most followers and active people here in the country.
Baseball (野球 yakyū) by now also has a long tradition in Japan after it was introduced in 1872. Initially only practiced as a university sport, the American game quickly spread throughout the country and is now played with passion and ambition at all schools and universities. The big breakthrough was probably brought in 1896 by the convincing victory of the Tokyo Ichikō High School team, which won the first "international victory" against the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club team of Japan-based foreigners. The return match too became a big disgrace for the international team. In a period of the emerging national pride and nationalism, this victory must have been the news of the year for the Japanese newspapers at that time. This is how legends and heroes are created!
And these days there is at least one name, which not only every Japanese baseball fan knows, but all baseball fans worldwide around the whole globe. Ichiro, probably the most famous and successful Japanese baseball player, who has been playing in the American MLB since 2001, showed there a very successful appearance.
The great idol for every little Japanese baseball enthusiast whose foot-steps so many young wanna-be heroes would like to follow.
In women's softball, the Japanese national team even ranks as one of the best teams in the world. So it's no wonder that the sport is so popular throughout the country and among a broad section of the population.
And in the summer millions of viewers watch the finals of the high school championships on television, an event that seems to be even more popular (because more honest and hand-down) than the professional games. To the finals in the Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, a large number of students and parents travel with the participating clubs to support and cheer on their own team.
A total of 49 schools from all prefectures of the country present themselves at this tournament. Starting in mid-June, the respective participants will be determined in regional competitions, and should the local team of your own school once have the honour of participating in the final round, as a former pupil you will immediately receive a big appeal for donations, because the long-distance trip must first be financed for such a school plus following.
This final round is the sports highlight of every summer, and during this time even the professional baseball players are pushed far into the background.
For many Japanese, baseball has now become another national sport, and the many Japanese who made it into the MLB are a sign and a proof of the excellent quality of the local players. Japan is a baseball country, and they gonna let you know it, again and again, clearly and emphatically.
And what about football in the country? Please stay tuned for the second part of:
Sport in Japan - Football or Baseball?
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