TOKYOMANGO

High school girl inspired by the Red Sox makes draft

An Osaka teenager just took the first step towards becoming the first female baseball player to play in an all-male league. Eri Yoshida is a pitcher known for her knuckleball. Apparently, she was inspired by a Boston Red Sox player, Tim Wakefield. At tryouts, she pitched to eight male players and didn't give up a single hit. If she passes the draft, she'll be starting on the Kobe 9 Cruise team next year.

I really hope she makes it! And if she doesn't, hopefully it's because she just wasn't good enough, and not because she was a girl.

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Giants vs Tigers, the oldest baseball rivalry in Japan

Last night, I went to the Giants vs. Tigers baseball game at Tokyo Dome. Somehow, we scored front row seats in a section where you're given a helmet and a glove, you know, in case the ball flies straight at you (it didn't). Tokyo's Yomiuri Giants and Osaka's Hanshin Tigers are the two oldest teams in Japanese baseball, and it's a rivalry as intense as the Yankees vs. the Red Sox. It was an extremely important game for the Giants—it brought them one game ahead of the Tigers in the Central League, late in the season after a 13-game deficit. The Giants scored 8 points in the bottom of the 5th inning to gain the lead, and then kept it to win 9-5.

Tokyo Dome is a 1.2 million square foot facility that was built for the Giants in 1988. It was pouring out last night, but as you can see, the 55,000 spectators and all the players are perfectly dry and comfortable. I actually went to the opening game at Tokyo Dome with my dad and my little brother. Dad took us out of school to go on a weekday, saying this was a special event in history that was worth ditching math class for. I thought he was such a cool guy for doing that. (But neither my dad or my brother remember going, haha.)

Continue reading for video and pics of the Hanshin Tigers cheering squad and the awesome bento I ate while watching them.

Why Doesn't Japan Cheer Out Loud at the Olympics?

Gymnastics is one of my favorite events to watch at the Olympics. As expected, China won the gold. Japan took the silver medal, and the US ended up with bronze. No major surprises there. But as I watched the medals being announced on TV with a bunch of friends in Hawaii, one of them said: Wow. The Japanese really don't know how to be happy, huh?

While the American and Chinese athletes hugged their coaches and teammates and shouted words of excitement, the Japanese men gave each other a pat on the back and then stood there tacitly as the scores were read out loud.

But it's not that they weren't excited. I think what we were seeing here is a classic example of how the Japanese experience emotion. Behind the stoic front, these men were crying tears of joy and pride. The same can probably be said for a chunk of the audience, both in stands and in front of TVs at home. Some might say, Yatta! and others might just sit there in silence, teary-eyed. Both of these are totally normal ways of expressing happiness in Japan. Yelling a prolonged "woohoo!" or screaming as loud as you can just aren't a dominant part of the culture.

The Gallympics: Girls in Bikinis Competing for the Gold in Twister

Flashy men's fashion mag "Men's Egg" has a feature in a recent issue called the 2008 Gallympics. In Japan "gal" is a term used to describe those bleached-blond, fakely-tanned girls who walk around Shibuya in super-high wedge sandals and short shorts. In the Gallympics, these women compete against each other in sports like Twister, speed-eating bananas, and limbo.

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Naomi Yotsumoto is the Asian Anna Kournikova

Naomi Yotsumoto is the most-talked about ping pong player in Japan right now, and it's not just because of her paddle-swatting skillz. The petite 29-year old Tokyo native is revolutionizing the sport by dressing provocatively and presenting herself as more than just an athlete. After creating plenty of buzz in local and international press because of her hot pink and rainbow-striped outfits (there is no dress code in professional ping pong), she now has her own TV show and a published autobiography. And as you can see in this video (from the national mixed doubles competition this year, where she placed second), she's really pretty good at what she does. And even when she doesn't win, the commentators never fail to spend a bunch of time fawning over her outfits and noticing how the crowd perks up when she walks in. Naomi Yotsumoto = the Asian Anna Kournikova = awesome at doubles, not so hot at singles, better known for her looks than for her athleticism.

Naomi Yotsumoto's main page via Design Corner (Thanks, Baker!)

Should Softball be an Olympic Sport?

Everyone thought the US women's softball team was gonna kick Japan's ass in the Olympic finals this week. Didn't happen. To everyone's surprise, Japan won 3-1.

The US women's softball team was like Misty May and Kerri Walsh in beach volleyball, but better—completely undefeated since 2000, with four Olympic gold medals under their cleats. Most of their victories were total sweeps, and the world was convinced that there was no fair match for them anywhere. This belief was so strong that the International Olympic Committee voted to have women's softball removed from the Olympics in 2012. The verdict's out: there will be no women's softball in London.

Does this week's upset change this? The Americans hope so. Star pitcher Jennie Finch is determined to get the gold back in 2016, so she—along with the rest of her team, the Japanese team, and every other softball enthusiast in the world—is lobbying hard to reinstate the sport.

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Haley Ishimatsu is a Good Diver

They finally showed the Olympic women's diving competition tonight on NBC. I'd been waiting to see Haley Ishimatsu, the 15-year old Japanese-American girl, since a few weeks ago when they did a quick segment about her on NPR. Apparently, she can do a back 3 1/2 somersault pike, which is this crazy dive that only a handful of other people in the world can do. Anyhow, she placed tenth in the qualifiers but didn't win. The commentators pointed out that her splash is too big when she hits the water. Interesting...

Someone said that it's easier on younger athletes to compete in the Olympics because they're just competing on excitement and adrenaline, whereas the older ones have a lot more at stake, and think about things more. I wouldn't know, because even though I dabble in all kinds of sports, I am nowhere even close to making it into real competition. :(

Kitajima Wins World Record in 100M Breaststroke

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima beat the world record in the 100m breaststroke earlier today in Beijing with a time of 58.1 seconds. Yay! Pictured next to him is a devastated Brendan Hansen—he held the world record until seconds ago.

Kitajima was already a national hero—at Athens four years ago, when he won two golds, for the 100m and 200m breaststrokes. I think it's safe to say that Kosuke Kitajima has the fastest breaststroke in the world ever. It's the second gold so far for Japan, with Masato Uchishiba winning the gold in 66k Judo yesterday.

I love watching the Olympics, and cheering for the Japanese team is super fun because I feel like I understand the heart and struggle they put behind all their efforts. I was just talking to Alyssa about this the other day while watching the US play Japan in women's volleyball, but even though we both grew up between the two cultures, we subconsciously root for Japan when they go head-to-head because that's where we were raised, and where our roots are the strongest.

75-Year Old Skier Climbs Mt. Everest

On Monday, 75-year old Yuichiro Miura became the second oldest person in the world to climb Mt. Everest. A professional skier and recent survivor of two heart operations, Miura reached the summit at 7:33am, just hours after a 76-year old Nepalese climber arrived there to claim the oldest person title. Miura has had a lifetime of heart problems—he has had an atrial fibrillation since he was a kid. But with serious training (he had a gym set up at home with oxygen levels simulating the summit), he accomplished his feat without any problems.

Miura climbed Everest with his doctor, his 38-year old son Gota, and a photograph of his deceased father, Keizo, who was skiing in France until the age of 99 (he died at 101). Rumor is that the son, who had been harping his dad about the dangers of doing this at such an old age, was the one who had difficulties breathing on his way up.

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Brazilian Soccer, the Predecessor to J-League

Soccer is the #1 sport in Brazil. I went to a Palmeiras game on Sunday night at this awesome stadium in Sao Paulo. And yes, they won. Also, soccer in Brazil was probably a big inspiration for the creation of the J-League, and the unofficial #3 national sport in Japan (after sumo and baseball). The J-League—a national professional soccer league consisting of 18 teams—was just formed in 1992, but it made instant soccer fans out of every single Japanese person within days of its inception. When players like Brazil's Zico went to Japan to play and coach, it was a huge big deal. (My little brother had him as a coach in his middle school league. Lucky guy.)

So I was super excited to go to a real Brazilian soccer game. It's still early season, so the stadium wasn't full, but the people who were there were serious fans. Guards with riot shields surrounded the field, just in case. The stands shook every time the crowd sang a song or cheered or clapped.

Gourmet Lunches at Baseball Stadiums in Japan

When you go to a baseball game in Japan, you get a real gourmet meal, not just hot dogs and churros and beer. Order a hamburger at Tokyo Dome—home of the Giants—and it comes etched with a perfect number 1. Or maybe you prefer the Chinese-inspired shumai lunch while rooting for the Yokohama Baystars.

Adidas Soccer Billboard Features Real Hanging Humans Playing

Check out this 2006 Adidas billboard featuring two real humans hanging from rope and playing soccer above everyone's heads.

Link (Japanese)

Monkeys and Dogs Doing Sit-Ups

The average Japanese boy can do 19 sit-ups a minute. But what about the average monkey, or the average bulldog? This hilarious video, featuring Pan the Monkey and James the Bulldog, investigates.

I love how there are real kids seriously trying to set records right on the same mat.

Ichiro-Isms Rock the Media

Ichiro's been in the news a lot lately, but not just because he's awesome at baseball. Apparently, he's been saying some silly, overly emotional things to the media.

My coworker at Wired, Erik—whose brain is arguably the most thorough sports almanac in the world—recently started a fun blog in which he featured some of the silliest Ichiro-isms. I told you guys about how the all star player thanked his dog for the $90 mill Mariners contract he signed last month. Now he's talking about the dormant fire in the "innermost recesses of his soul."

I think there's a lot that has been lost in translation here. The Japanese speak in metaphors a lot, so it's really hard for interpreters to relay messages like Ichiro's into English without making him sound either overly dramatic (via a literal translation of the metaphor) or completely dry (by extracting the non-metaphorical meaning of the words). There is a happy medium, but it's not something that can be easily deciphered in the brief moment that interpreters have to get the word out.

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Ichiro Thanks His Dog for $90 Million Contract

Yesterday, the Seattle Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki on for a $90 million contract for an additional 5 years with the team. $90 million! Wow. Can't say he doesn't deserve it, though. Ichiro's the first major leaguer to have 200 hits in each of his first six seasons, and he's the top hitter this season to date, batting .355 with 5 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 23 bases stolen. Plus he's brought thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Japanese fans and tourists to the US.

Ichiro claims that his dog, Ikky, helped him get to where he is today. Yahoo! Sports reports:

When asked whose counsel he valued most during contract negotiations that began in January, he said, "Ikky, my dog."

"He said, 'Ruff, ruff, ruff,"' a smiling Suzuki said through an interpreter. "That means, 'Stay, stay, stay."'

I guess the dog likes living in Seattle. Or maybe Ichiro's giving him filet mignon and caviar cookies to snack on.

3-Story Fully Automated Golf Driving Range

I hit more golf balls in the last 36 hours than I ever have in my whole life. This is the Lotte Kasai golf driving range, where I went totally nuts with the 3 wood in my mom's golf bag. Now I have bleeding callouses on both hands, but it was so worth it. So much better than that crappy ghost-infested driving range in Colma, CA. And here's why:

- Japanese driving ranges are usually 3 stories high. I was on the second floor so balls were flying out from above and below me.
- They're fully automated. Details, pic, and video after the jump.

Don't Drop The Basketball!

My brother, Lara, and I went to Muscle Park yesterday, where we tested various aspects of our athletic skillz. Here, Lara and I test our agility and teamwork by holding a basketball--not so successfully--through a maze of steel.

Many of the tests at MP are those seen on those popular Japanese TV shows where people compete in random creative events to win honor and sometimes money.

We took some awesome videos, which I'll be posting later this weekend.

Yawara-chan's Post-Baby Comeback

Japan's favorite judo star, Ryoko Tani a.k.a. Yawara-chan, made her post-maternity leave comeback in the All Japan Judo Championship yesterday. Yawara-chan won the gold at the last 2 summer Olympics--Sydney and Athens--and holds six world titles in the sport.

She actually lost to a student from Tsukuba, but hey. Mad props to any mother who goes back into professional sports and can throw people on the ground and kick people's asses. She had a son two years ago with baseball player husband Yoshitomo Tani.

If Yawara-chan was my mom, I would probably try not to piss her off too much.

Vonia's MP3 Headband

I don't wear a headband when I exercise, but I guess some people do. And now that Vonia's made this kick-ass headphone-inclusive sweat-wicking headband that has a tiny slit on the side that fits an iPod shuffle, I just might start wearing a headband to the gym. The speakers are waterproof, so if you have a waterproof MP3 player, too, then you can even wear it while you're swimming in the deep blue sea...Then I might be as happy on the elliptical machine as this guy (after the jump)...

Designer Gym Features Framed Rock Climbing Wall

Contrary to what you might think, this wall is not part of a museum. It's actually a rock climbing wall in a designer gym in Ebisu. Illoiha's yoga studio is dimly lit like a Manhattan martini bar, and in addition to this awesome wall, it also has a rock bath facility. (Have you ever gotten a hot stone massage? This is like that but 100x more relaxing.) It's pretty much $30/hr to do anything here--to sit in the bath, or to climb this wall. I would totally do it if I was rich, just to indulge.