No Need to go to Japan. Lamigo will bring NPB to you.
Lamigo Monkeys have join forces with Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for their next theme nights event “Yokoso! Lamigo! (Welcome! Lamigo!)”
From 5th to 7th of May, Lamigo Monkeys will be holding the “NPB theme nights” at Taoyuan stadium featuring the exotic Japanese baseball cheerleading cultures. Four teams from the NPB – Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Chiba Lotte Marines, Hanshin Tigers, and Orix Buffaloes will be featured in the weekend event.
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters might be the most widely known team in Taiwan since it has been the home of Taiwanese player 陽岱鋼 (Yoh Daikan) for 10 years before his signing with the Yomiuri Giants after the 2016 season.
Fighters official mascot Brisky the Bear will also be at the event to demonstrate and get the local fans to go along with the “Inaba Jump”. The Inaba Jump was famously known for making the cameras shake around while the fans did it, since the the retirement of Atsunori Inaba, fans have recently started to do it for Sho Nakata.
(Big Thanks to Dani for providing the information regarding to the Inaba Jump. You can follow her on Twitter for Nippon Ham Fighters coverage in English)
Video of Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Inaba Jump
Chiba Lotte Marines
Fans of Lamigo Monkeys are probably very familiar with Chiba Lotte Marines. The two teams established close relationships since 2014, as Lotte was invited to for a 3-game exhibition between the two teams at Taoyuan stadium. Since then, the “Power Series” is held annually at Chiba Lotte’s spring training camp at Ishigaki Island. (2017 Power Series Roster/ Highlight video)
During the 2014 Power Series. Both Lamigo Monkeys and Chiba Lotte Marines has authorized several theme songs to each as a gesture of friendship. The Lotte chance theme is now part of the Lamigo Monkeys cheering at Taoyuan stadium. What’s more Lamigo Monkeys will debut a brand new chance theme which they have been working with Chiba Lotte since beginning of 2017.
Video of Chiba Lotte Marines Chance Theme no.4
Video of Lamigo Monkeys Chance Themes “We are” & “獨一無二”.
Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers, one the most iconic teams in Japan will also plays a part in this upcoming NPB theme nights. The Tigers theme song Rokko Oroshi” (六甲おろし) will be played in between the innings. On top of that, fans also have the opportunity to purchase the official Koshien merchandise which only available at Koshien Stadium.
Rokko Oroshi, oldest team song in NPB
The song Rokko Oroshi is actually named “The Hanshin Tigers Song” (Hanshin Taiga-su no uta) – a name it has held since 1961, when the team permanently changed its name from Osaka Tigers. The song was first performed at the send-off for the inaugural team back in 1936, making it the oldest team song among the 12 current pro baseball teams.
For the people of Kansai (the area including Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe), this song is probably more well known than Japan’s national anthem, and many children in schools throughout the region can sing along with at least the first verse. At Hanshin Tigers games, the first verse of the song is sung after each run-scoring play (other than on double plays or errors), and the song is sung in its entirety at game’s end when the Tigers are victorious.
True fans of the team, find themselves humming the song throughout the day, especially if Hanshin was victorious the previous night.
(Credits to The Hanshin Tigers English News for providing the information about the theme song. You can follow T-Ray on Twitter for more Hanshin Tigers coverage)
Video of Hanshin Tigers Team Song Rokko Oroshi (六甲おろし)
Orix Buffaloes
After the 5th inning, the popular Orix Buffaloes cheerleaders BsGirls and the team’s mascot Buffalo Bell (バファローベル) will be performing the Orix Buffaloes theme song SKY.
Video of Orix Buffaloes Theme Song “Sky”, performed by BsGirls
Lucky 7 – Balloons Time!
For the upcoming 3-day Japanese culture / NPB theme nights, Lamigo Monkeys have prepared more than 23,000 jet balloons for Monkeys fans to experience the “NPB Lucky 7” at the Toayuan stadium
Lucky 7 is one of the unique Japanese baseball culture where each team use the time between the top and bottom of the 7th inning to sing their own teams song. Instead of being known as the 7th inning stretch, most teams label it “Lucky 7”. Some teams fans release jet balloons at the end of the song, or long balloons that usually float upwards and make a screaming like noise when released. Those teams that do a balloon release will have the balloons sold in the stands in the teams official colors.
(Big thanks to NPB Reddit for more insight on the Lucky 7. You can follow him on Twitter @NPB_Reddit for all things NPB related in English)
Video of “Lucky 7”