Mariners vs A's in Japan 2012

I just finished watching Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Before the game came on I ran through hoops trying to get the game on TV. The 6 AM live broadcast of the game was blackout in my area so I opened an application I have on my computer called KeyholeTV.

It’s a small program that broadcast a majority of Japanese TV and radio stations over the internet. And while the MLB Network was showing a rebroadcast of an Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets game, I’m watching the game live with Japanese commercials and all. Many of them were Ichiro beer commercials.

The fun thing about this game was watching the cultural difference in relation to baseball. The Tokyo Dome is located somewhat in the business district. So when the business people get off work, they simply walk over to the stadium without changing their clothing to a more casual apparel. The dark side to this is that companies would require their employees to attend company functions like this whether the individual wanted to or not.

Even when it’s time to go home for the day that employee is still required to attend company parties, group sporting events or other company activities. So remember anytime you see the image of Japanese business men coming home real late at night looking tired or drunk, it’s because they have been working off the clock.

This game was interesting because the couple behind home plate looked like they didn’t even want to be their while the men just behind them looked more like a group of “Yes Men” than actual baseball fans. One of those “Yes Men” at the bottom of the 3^rd was reading a newspaper. But in all, Japanese people attending the game are the best dressed.

The game was going into the 11^th inning when the Japanese network cut away to show another program just before the Mariners scored two homeruns. Unlike here in America where broadcasters will keep showing the game until it’s over, in Japan when the next program is schedule to come on, they will stop broadcasting the game on TV.  Japan has yet to experience their Heidi Bowl Game yet. 

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

The Heidi Game or Heidi Bowl was an American football game played on November 17, 1968. The home team, the Oakland Raiders, defeated the New York Jets, 43–32. The game is remembered for its exciting finish, as Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to overcome a 32–29 New York lead. The Heidi Game obtained its name because the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) controversially broke away from the game with the Jets still winning to air the television film Heidi at 7 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone.

In all it was a great game to watch. Especially from Japan where baseball is as popular there as it is here in America. If only the MLB could have broadcasted the game live across the whole country so I didn’t have to, somewhat in the grey area of the law to, watch the game illegally live on the internet.