Hanshin Tigers Fever
We decided we were all-in on the Hanshin Tigers, so when we arrived in Osaka, we went straight to the Hanshin Team Store, which was on the top floor of an eleven-story department store. We walked through a large art exhibition on the eleventh floor when we got off the elevator, which was quite the juxtaposition to what we saw next.The team store was a madhouse.
There were sixty people in line, and the merchandise area was so crowded you could barely pick your way through. I managed to secure two hats before the walls were bare. "What is happening?" I asked Eli 22.2.
He laughed. "This is absolutely crazy."
We asked the clerks at the checkout if it was always like this, and they laughed and said "Never."
Here's the hat, by the way:
After we checked into the capsule hotel, we went back out for dinner. Eli took us to an entertainment district whose name I can't remember, but it was unbelievably loud and crowded for a Thursday night.
This crowded:
I just thought Osaka was really, really crowded. Then we saw this (which is one of my favorite pictures from the trip):
It's in the far background of the picture, but there are police buses lined up across the bridge.
"What have we wandered into?" I asked. I looked at Eli. "If it's a political demonstration, keep moving." He laughed.
Eventually, we figured it out. Hanshin needed a win that night to clinch a playoff spot. That's the game everyone was watching in the foreground of the first picture. They did win, about half an hour after we left, which set off a raucous celebration. The police buses were there just in case.
We were so lucky to have that encounter with the bartender the night before, because it framed everything that happened the next day.
Now we're on the Hanshin Tigers hype train. I'm trying to figure out how to stream the playoffs (it's not easy). I may be waking up at 6 a.m. to watch playoff games.
I mean, it's my team. It's the least I can do.
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