Ouendan

Leading the Ouendan, originally uploaded by TAMAGO SENBEI!!.

I've been going to a few Orix Buffaloes games with Mr. bblue23 lately. If you look at the stands in the far background of this photo, I think you can get an idea of their general popularity in Osaka, where the Hanshin Tigers rule. But attending a stadium game without having to deal with crowds suits me fine.

This shot was taken from the unreserved seating section of the stands yesterday, squarely in the middle of the hardcore fans' cheering section. Whenever the Buffaloes are at bat, we stand up, and chant/cheer for the players at bat under the direction of the ouendan leader. Each player has their own song, and thanks to Mr. bblue23's printout of the lyrics, I've managed to mostly memorize exactly three of them. "Shouting out the cheers is such a great way to let off steam," he told me, and I couldn't agree more.

We went again tonight, although I was a bit nervous: it was ¥200 beer night, and a crowd of drunk sports fans was the last thing I wanted to deal with. Not to worry, he said: "Everyone in this section is completely focused on cheering. You won't see many people drinking," and true enough, I counted only one.