Today I woke up at 9:30 and lazied around till 10. Sleep is a great thing. I made pancakes for breakfast and they were so American that I felt like I was back home. Around noon I headed off to a baseball game. It was Ritsumeikan against some other university.

Baseball is the only sport I completely understand thanks to my dad, but Japanese baseball is something else. At least Japanese University baseball, omg.

First of all, they had cheerleaders! I always thought cheerleaders were only an American thing. Also, they had a pep band! (the musician in me was so excited!!) It was the most culturally shock thing ever, because it was not like regular pep bands and cheerleaders. The cheerleaders were in the crowd all the time rather than tumbling around on the field or just sitting around like in America. There were also spirit people. and they would switch with the cheerleaders and do really wear stances and motions, it was so weird but so amusing to watch! (Franz and I plan to return to another game and this time we plan to sit closer so I can record the spirit people).

I have never been to a game were the whole crowd was so into it (the Japanese really do love their baseball). Every player had their own specific fight song, which was the cutest thing ever! Every time a new batter (from the Ritsumeikan team) would go up to bat the crowd would sing, play and cheer a new song. Franz and I caught up that every player had their own song when they all re-batted. Then when the pitchers pitched they both had their own fight songs. The pitcher for Ritsumeikan was Ishikawa until he was injured, when he was batting the pitcher of the opposing team hit his throwing arm. Then we had Azuma. Also…the cheerleaders had their faces (Ishikawa and Azuma) plastered on a cardboard and would lift it up to the crowd as they cheered them on and sang their fight song. Defiantly nothing like the states.

Unfortunately, Ritsumeikan lost. But, the other school cheated! Not only did they injured Ritsumeikan’s star pitcher, but they also there was unfair run. Ritsumeikan caught the ball while it was still airborne and the other school got to home base and they scored, but they shouldn’t have since RU caught the damn ball! That run made them become tie, so they had to go into another inning. (College baseball only has 9), they got all away till 11th and the other school scored a run.