Understanding Baseball in Japan: A Cultural Primer
While we anxiously wait for the Major League Baseball season to kick off on March 25th, when the World Champion Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s meet in Tokyo during a two-game series, all eyes will focus on how Americans embrace their season curtain-raiser being played on foreign soil in a country rich in baseball traditions.
Since baseball was first introduced in Japan in 1870 by Dr. Horace Wilson, an American professor teaching in Japan, the U.S. tours to Japan have become legendary. From Babe Ruth and the American All-Stars tour in 1934, when the Bambino, along with Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Charlie Gehringer all went down swinging at the hands of a 17 year-old Japanese high school sensation Eiji Sawamura, who held the Americans to one run over five innings, while striking out nine; later followed by Joe DiMaggio and the Lefty O'Doul All-Stars in 1950, when the Yankee Clipper lost a home run contest to Makoto Kozuru, who at the time, was considered the ``Babe Ruth'' of the Central League. The U.S. reclaimed the home run derby in 1974, when Hank Aaron and Sadaharu Oh engaged in an epic home run battle. Aaron got the better of Oh 10-9 at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo.
While there’s been a great deal documented about the baseball history of Japan and the U.S., not much is discussed about their cultural differences.
So I sat down on Easter Sunday with my friend, Hiromi Ninomiya Tanis, originally from Hiroshima, Japan, now living in South Florida, who has taught Japanese at Florida International University and specializes in cultural differences and ethnicity. One of the biggest differences in watching a game in Japan compared to the U.S., according to Tanis, begins from the moment you approach the stadium, and can feel the excitement and energy, hearing the sounds of the drams, trumpets and whistles. And as you enter the stadium and the first pitch is thrown, the thunder of the crowd grows even louder, especially from the outfield where you'll likely see fans holding megaphones, belting out special songs for individual players. Tanis observed that the Japanese, by nature, are somewhat reserved and quiet, that is, until they enter a baseball stadium.
Another difference between the American and Japanese stadiums is the wide variety of foods available to fans passing through the turnstiles. Unlike in the U.S. where hot dogs, beer, and pretzels are pretty much the main staples; in Japan, in addition to Japanese Ramen noodle and hot dogs, each city has a unique dish that is served at different stadiums.
For example, Tanis told me, ``when you go to a Hanshi Tigers game in Osaka, you might find their special dish like Takoyaki (octopus ball: famous from Osaka) and if you go to Hiroshima, you will find Okonomiyaki which is a famous Japanese style pan cake from Hiroshima. You can enjoy a great food at stadium while you are watching games. Of course you can find beer, Sake and Shochu in any stadium.’’
One important distinction I learned about the two baseball cultures is the nature of individual players. There’s a good reason, for example, why you won’t find many players with volcanic tempers in Japan like Lou Piniella kicking dirt in an umpire’s face, or the legendary tirades of Pete Rose in the U.S. And that stems from the nature of the Japanese strict discipline that’s infused into players an early age. Tanis informs me the younger players live in dorms, and are not only disciplined in sound baseball fundamentals, but also disciplined in how they conduct themselves in their adult lives.
Tanis said this kind of self-control ``applies to any entities in Japanese society at places of employment or schools in Japan. Japanese people believe attitudes or any behaviors in private lives can affect your job prospects and that type of concern stays with them through their whole lives. Japanese students, Tanis explained, who are playing baseball have strict rules from elementary to college. Their hair style, curfews, attitude in public, respect to others is regulated by managers, coaches, parents and schools.’’
The central difference Tanis underscored between Japanese and American cultures that just so happens to carry over to the baseball diamond, is more attention is paid to nurturing a collective spirit and living in harmony in Japan; and an integral part of living in a collective society is displaying politeness and respect. Japanese players have been known to get thrown out of a game for arguing balls-and -strikes, Tanis said, but it’s extremely rare.
As we began to say our final goodbyes, my friend Hiromi did have one caveat for the Red Sox and Athletic players, who have reported not to have felt any adverse affects from jet leg. ``They’ll likely feel the jet leg on their way back to the United States’’
But that’s a small price to pay for being given the royal treatment during their stay in Japan.
-Bill Lucey
billlucey@bellsouth.net
Since baseball was first introduced in Japan in 1870 by Dr. Horace Wilson, an American professor teaching in Japan, the U.S. tours to Japan have become legendary. From Babe Ruth and the American All-Stars tour in 1934, when the Bambino, along with Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Charlie Gehringer all went down swinging at the hands of a 17 year-old Japanese high school sensation Eiji Sawamura, who held the Americans to one run over five innings, while striking out nine; later followed by Joe DiMaggio and the Lefty O'Doul All-Stars in 1950, when the Yankee Clipper lost a home run contest to Makoto Kozuru, who at the time, was considered the ``Babe Ruth'' of the Central League. The U.S. reclaimed the home run derby in 1974, when Hank Aaron and Sadaharu Oh engaged in an epic home run battle. Aaron got the better of Oh 10-9 at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo.
While there’s been a great deal documented about the baseball history of Japan and the U.S., not much is discussed about their cultural differences.
So I sat down on Easter Sunday with my friend, Hiromi Ninomiya Tanis, originally from Hiroshima, Japan, now living in South Florida, who has taught Japanese at Florida International University and specializes in cultural differences and ethnicity. One of the biggest differences in watching a game in Japan compared to the U.S., according to Tanis, begins from the moment you approach the stadium, and can feel the excitement and energy, hearing the sounds of the drams, trumpets and whistles. And as you enter the stadium and the first pitch is thrown, the thunder of the crowd grows even louder, especially from the outfield where you'll likely see fans holding megaphones, belting out special songs for individual players. Tanis observed that the Japanese, by nature, are somewhat reserved and quiet, that is, until they enter a baseball stadium.
Another difference between the American and Japanese stadiums is the wide variety of foods available to fans passing through the turnstiles. Unlike in the U.S. where hot dogs, beer, and pretzels are pretty much the main staples; in Japan, in addition to Japanese Ramen noodle and hot dogs, each city has a unique dish that is served at different stadiums.
For example, Tanis told me, ``when you go to a Hanshi Tigers game in Osaka, you might find their special dish like Takoyaki (octopus ball: famous from Osaka) and if you go to Hiroshima, you will find Okonomiyaki which is a famous Japanese style pan cake from Hiroshima. You can enjoy a great food at stadium while you are watching games. Of course you can find beer, Sake and Shochu in any stadium.’’
One important distinction I learned about the two baseball cultures is the nature of individual players. There’s a good reason, for example, why you won’t find many players with volcanic tempers in Japan like Lou Piniella kicking dirt in an umpire’s face, or the legendary tirades of Pete Rose in the U.S. And that stems from the nature of the Japanese strict discipline that’s infused into players an early age. Tanis informs me the younger players live in dorms, and are not only disciplined in sound baseball fundamentals, but also disciplined in how they conduct themselves in their adult lives.
Tanis said this kind of self-control ``applies to any entities in Japanese society at places of employment or schools in Japan. Japanese people believe attitudes or any behaviors in private lives can affect your job prospects and that type of concern stays with them through their whole lives. Japanese students, Tanis explained, who are playing baseball have strict rules from elementary to college. Their hair style, curfews, attitude in public, respect to others is regulated by managers, coaches, parents and schools.’’
The central difference Tanis underscored between Japanese and American cultures that just so happens to carry over to the baseball diamond, is more attention is paid to nurturing a collective spirit and living in harmony in Japan; and an integral part of living in a collective society is displaying politeness and respect. Japanese players have been known to get thrown out of a game for arguing balls-and -strikes, Tanis said, but it’s extremely rare.
As we began to say our final goodbyes, my friend Hiromi did have one caveat for the Red Sox and Athletic players, who have reported not to have felt any adverse affects from jet leg. ``They’ll likely feel the jet leg on their way back to the United States’’
But that’s a small price to pay for being given the royal treatment during their stay in Japan.
-Bill Lucey
billlucey@bellsouth.net
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