Puro Yakyu

I went with some friends from work to watch a baseball game. I opted for the Yakult Swallows game instead of a Yomiuri Giants game because of a few reasons:
1. Sports should played outdoors whenever possible (see Jingu Stadium)
2. The Giants are pretty much the Yankees of Japan.
3. The Swallows have many home games each year against the Hanshin Tigers. (Hanshin fans are reported to be the most fanatical in Japan).

The Swallows mascot.
Swallows at bat.
Beer-Girls carry mini-kegs through the stands. Hooray Beer!
I don't read much Kangi, but this wasn't too hard to figure out.
The swallows fans have a funny tradition: Whenever their team scores a run, they all hold up small umbrellas; telling the opposing pitcher he should hit the showers.
The Tigers fans have a tradition of blowing up and letting go thousands of balloons during the 7th inning stretch (Japanese baseball has the stretch before the 7th inning, instead of between the halves)

Otsuki-san, Arai-san, me, and Shiono-san

The two most-different-from-MLB things I learned about Japanese baseball:
1. People sitting on the right side of the field cheer for the home team. People sitting on the left side of the field cheer for the visiting team. If you can't get tickets for your team's side, you sit quietly during the game.
2. Cheering is done only by the fans of team on offense. You stand and cheer for your half of the inning and then sit quietly for the other half. Your team just threw a man out at home? Quiet!!!

The two things that are most the same:
1. Beer
2. Good Times