While watching TV one night after we arrived in Japan, I saw a volleyball match featuring the Japanese men's team. They were playing in the Volleyball Nations League and the matches were being held in Osaka, were we would be in a few days. Volleyball is my least favourite sport, but a new venue opportunity is always intriguing. I checked the schedule and saw that Canada would be taking on Belgium on Sunday afternoon in a doubleheader with Cuba vs. Italy in the second match. The only problem was that Sunday was reserved for meeting a family friend with the time yet to be determined, so I didn't want to buy a ticket in advance. When Sunday rolled around, the meeting was set for the evening, so I checked online for tickets, but only wheelchair seats were available. I wasn't surprised, given how the Japanese are fanatical about volleyball. I decided to head over to Asue Arena (below) to see if I could get something at the box office. Except there wasn't a box office. The online option was not appealing as you needed to create an account with a Japanese address, so I hung around in the sweltering heat for a few minutes to see if anyone had an extra, but no such luck. Fortunately, I had a backup plan.
Just a few minutes away by train, the Orix Buffaloes were hosting the Nippon Ham Fighters at the Kyocera Dome. I had
last visited here in 2013, just before my NFL road trip, and found the ballpark to be sterile. But it was far better to be indoors on this day so I bought a ticket for 2,800 yen ($18) and headed inside.
When I visited before, the crowd was only 20,000 but in the intervening years, the Buffaloes have gained a following and today, there were over 36,000 on hand. This made the narrow concourse somewhat difficult to navigate and also saw concession stands with long lines.
As well, my seat was far, far, away, and to make matters worse, in the middle of a row. After three innings, I decided to move around. At the time, Nippon Ham was up 5-1 and the game was already more than an hour old.
I stopped at a concession stand to pick up a beer and some snacks and then made my way to the open area behind the lower deck (view below). You are not supposed to stand here, but it is not policed and so I wandered around, happy to have the space.
While I was there, I saw an ad for Bs Beer Bar and followed the signs, which took me all the way around the stadium to right field, passing through the area where the beer girls and other vendors are resupplied. That is pretty cool in its own right, but I was not to be deterred. A few seconds later and I arrived at my destination.
This is a full-service bar directly behind the Orix cheering section (oendan), with several drinks that are not available elsewhere. I ordered a jumbo grapefruit sour for 900 yen and it was remarkably refreshing.
I stood behind the oendan and sipped my drink, watching the futile Orix offense for a few innings. I was going to order another drink, but the bar closed immediately after the bottom of the 7th inning, without warning.
I moved over to the first base side to watch the rest of the game, and was able to buy a lemon sour with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Since nobody drives, you can buy booze right up to the last pitch. Anyway, the game ended 5-1, with only two hits in the final five innings.
There were 7 total walks though, which is why the game went 3:02, with a PPM of 1.6. After some good minor league games, this was a return to the type of Japanese baseball that I hated when I lived here.
They don't kick you out immediately so I spent some time finishing my drink and wandering the corridors, which were now pretty empty. Orix was the team with which Ichiro got his start and he is appropriately honoured here. The Blue Wave, as they were known before they merged with Kintetsu, won the Japan Series in 1996, just a month after I arrived. Look at young Ichiro in the photo below.
His old Orix uniform and shoes are also on display. Ichiro started playing in 1992 and spent a couple of years on the farm team because the major league manager,
Shozo Doi, did not like his swing. Only when Orix brought in Akira Ohgi did Ichiro get his chance and the rest is history.
I ended up really enjoying my time here, mostly because I was able to move around freely and discovered the beer bar. If I ever return, I will be spending most of my time there.
Notes
Canada was swept in three sets by Belgium in the volleyball and ended up being relegated out of the Nations League altogether, so I guess I made the right choice.
Best,
Sean
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