Japanese sports
The only conclusion I can come to is that the Japanese are obsessed with baseball. There is at least one game on regular TV every night. And I do mean every night. Japanese ESPN usually has another game on (at least, if it’s not a different game, the players are changing clothes awfully quickly). Every once in a while they’ll show volleyball or soccer, but even the national Sumo wrestling tournament doesn’t get prime time billing. It’s non-stop baseball. I don’t think that even football season at home matches this.
It’s not all a spectator sport either. There’s a baseball diamond in every little town, complete with full stadium lighting and seating. And if you happen to be trying to drive through the town right before or right after the game, you might as well just pull over to the side and wait. It’ll be less aggravating.
I’ve seen tennis courts and swimming pools and soccer fields as well, but never with cars overflowing the parking lot. The only thing that might have a larger participant base is golf. But given how often I see a country club parking lot full and no one out on the green, I’m not sure they’re actually technically participants.
This comes up now because I’ve been looking in vain for any mention of the Tour de France. I’ve seen nothing anywhere, no one at work discusses the standings, and I’m reduced to the internet for updates (hearing about a crash just isn’t the same as watching it). Being a cyclist’s wife, I have to be appalled at this state of affairs. And it’s not just that the race is half the world away - cycling just doesn’t seem to be big here. Although there are lots of people out on commuter bikes, I’ve only seen one cyclist out on the road with a brightly colored Lycra jersey and roadbike in my entire time here. But I figure it’s hopeless to try and convert them. Just think – the *average* downhill speed of the Tour peleton is faster than the typical Japanese speed limit.
1 Comments:
And now you know the source of the many Japanese baseball stars (Iichiro, Matsui, etc.) who have joined American baseball teams in recent years. I have not had the pleasure to do so, but I have heard that actually attending a Japanese professional level game is truly a cross-cultural experience -- a distinctly American game on the field, with distinctly Japanese food and fan behavior in the stands. For example, highly organized, complex cheers including flash cards, like one might see at a Big Ten football game.
In terms of golf, the Japanese definitely love to chase the little white ball, but club membership and a round of golf is INCREDIBLY expensive in Japan and usually reserved for the elite or special occasions. This explains why the Japanese love to golf when they visit the US -- even our most expensive public courses can look like a bargain to them!
-- Peter
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