10 Things I Learned About Japanese Baseball

Pick up any general travel guide to Japan and you will probably find a recommendation to check out a Japanese ball game. Most cite the enjoyment of watching and listening to the outfield cheering sections going nonstop on behalf of their teams regardless of the score or game situation. I followed their advice years ago and enjoyed this experience of Japanese culture as much as the guides promised I would.

This summer, I took my 5 year old to his first Pro Yakyu game and had a chance to pick up on a few more unique cultural practices that I missed the first couple times I attended games at QVC Stadium, home of the Chiba Lotte Marines.

1) Bring the kids. If you sit in sections 8, 9, 10, or 11, four year olds get in free and 5-14 (end of Grade 9) pay half price.

2) Try the unrestricted seating section 8 on the second deck behind the infield. If you don't like your seat, move. Kids can wander a bit without distracting other fans, too. A shout out to Steve (@lovelovemarines) at We Love Marines for answering my last minute tweet and recommending a few good places to sit.

3) Cheap food. No price gouging. Honest. We bought potato wedges and edamame for ¥450. Talk about family friendly. Prices were so good, I ended having an extra draft beer at ¥600. Smart concession pricing strategy.

4) Beer serving is different. There are no beer monopolies at QVC. Servers carry backpack tanks of draft from every major label in Japan, wearing baseball-themed uniforms. Also, there are a lot of beer girls and only one beer boy. They appear to be hired on the basis of their carrying and pouring ability more than their looks, so credit to QVC and/or Japanese culture for downplaying the sex=beer connection so prevalent in North America.

After buying my first draft, I got the sense the server was expecting a tip. I was so taken by surprise given the no-tipping culture in Japan that I just accepted my change. Feeling a little guilty, I tried to watch for the same server for my refill to make it up to her, but didn't see her again. The second server quickly gave me my change, so perhaps I had misread the earlier transaction. If anyone else knows about tipping practices at the stadium, I'd like to hear about it.

5) Oh yeah, there was a game to watch too, and nothing beats live. Why? Because of moments like this. Aging slugger Craig Brazell, who couldn't catch on with an NPB team early in 2013, slugged a homer in the 5th. Rounding the bases with his head down, there was an unmistakable sense that deep down he was thinking "still got it." There is something poignant about seeing a lion in winter with a little more talent to squeeze out of himself before retirement. As he went down the line of the dugout exchanging high 5s, he did something surprising when exchanging a man hug with the last player in line, whipping the plushie he had been given at another guy in the dugout. They shared a laugh before he tossed the plushie into the crowd. Only live do you see something like that.

6) QVC Marine Stadium is no Wrigley Field, but it offers more than one sees at first glance. I always thought of QVC as something of a nondescript stadium, but when you sit up high you can see Tokyo Bay and feel the ocean breeze on a hot summer night. What a way to enjoy the game. To top it off, there was a fireworks display during a between inning break. They don't have them every game, but they sure looked great from the upper level seats behind home plate.

7) 7th inning stretch redefined. A more recent evolution in the fan experience that I've only seen on TV was the release of cylindrical balloons by the road team and home team's fans in their respective halves of the seventh. We didn't know to buy some before coming up, but a group of young business people sitting near us gave one to my son. After the fireworks, this was probably his most enjoyable experience of the night.

8) Imae. My son's favourite number is 8. That's why he wanted me to buy him an Imae towel. I've always liked Imae, not least because he has been a clutch playoff performer, so I was happy to pay the extra ¥500 over a regular team towel. Wouldn't you know it, but my son, who can't sit through a half inning of a major league game without saying "I'm bored," waved that towel like a madman every time Imae came to the plate. He obliged with two hits, including a key RBI when the game's score was still close. It reminded me that kids connect with players, not teams or stats, and that is the way to share the game with them. Thanks for the reminder Imae.

9) After every foul ball hit into the stands, at least two ushers rush over, bow and raise a hand to make sure everyone is all right. Even when the ball lands in an unoccupied section and bounces harmlessly down the aisle they still run over to check in a priceless display of symbolic customer service.

10) It's not just the bleacher bums who dance and cheer all game. Directly behind home plate in the last row, two dudes--one wearing all black, the other all pink--matched the cheering section the entire game. To top it off, the guy in pink was also holding a toddler in his arms most of the game. Great entertainment value.

Getting there: The stadium is semi-walkable (about 15 minutes) from JR Kaihinmakuhari station, but the Keiyo line is inconvenient unless you're coming from Tokyo Station. I've never cabbed it from there, but I doubt it would be more than 1000 yen. I've never taken the shuttle from this station, but it looks like it works the same way as the Keisei one described below and it won't break the bank (¥100/Adults ¥50 Children).

Using the Keisei line gets you to an easy to use shuttle bus (¥250/Adults ¥130 Children). Makuharihongo (幕張本郷) station is the FIRST stop after the Keisei Tsudanuma change (heading southeast) so make sure you disembark there even if Keisei Makuhari station looks slightly closer to the stadium. Exit the station immediately, avoiding the numbered bus platforms. Helpful employees are waiting by the stop to help you get to the QVCマリンフィールド行 shuttle bus. It will be a quiet ride there, but on the way back fans are way more relaxed and willing to engage in a conversation--a rare chance to meet new people when riding public transit in Japan. The shuttle there makes a few local stops, but the last stop is the stadium, so there is no fear of missing your stop. On the way back, the shuttle goes directly to the station and there are signs and employees to help you line up at the right bus.

If you can read Japanese, here is some more information from the team website to help you. Enjoy the game.