Some of you may be aware of the Hanshin Tigers Fan Club. Others might not. Since the information on the team website is only in Japanese, it becomes even harder for English-speaking fans to get a service that is quite reasonable. I’ll break it down for you here:
The cost for a year membership is ¥3,600 (around $30 US) and includes:
1) A membership card. On the back is your name and membership number, as well as a little Tigers jersey with the number of your choice on it. (I chose #9 because Matt Murton is my favorite player.) Three straight years of membership earns you “Gold” status, 5 is “Platinum” and 10 is “Diamond.” Not sure what its significance is.
Update: After reading into it, I found out Gold gets you a free towel (different than the one below) plus entry into a draw for 3B SMBC seats to a game. Platinum gets you a Membership “card case” plus entry into a draw for 1B SMBC seats to a game, plus access to special “Platinum and Diamond Members Only” tickets. Diamond gets you a special hand-stitched “Diamond Member” emblem, entry into a draw for lower-deck Green seats, access to special “Platinum and Diamond Members Only” tickets, plus entry into a draw for invitations to special events (open practices, more) accessible only to Gold, Platinum and Diamond members. You also get an optional “Diamond Plus Member” service available for ¥33,600 which includes: a unique Mizuno “bench coat” with your name (up to 10 characters) stitched into the sleeve, a unique Diamond Plus Member card, a Mizuno “Gold Glove Leather” keychain, earlier access to tickets than anyone else, a walk down the red carpet at Fan Appreciation Day, a pair of tickets (1B Alps) to any regular season game, your name on a placard outside Koshien Stadium, and entry into a draw to access the draftees’ club induction conference. WOW.
2) A replica yellow jersey OR a tote bag with 2 seat cushions (for the hard seats at Koshien) OR a tote bag (like the ones that high schoolers use) OR a large beach towel with To Lucky and Lucky on it.
3) If a current member “introduces” you to the club, both you and that person get a silk-screen hand towel that has 7 players on it.
4) Discounts on certain tickets/items, as well as the ability to choose your seats when buying tickets. Without the membership you can only choose your section, then you get your seats chosen for you.
5) Invitations to special fan events throughout the year.
6) A quarterly magazine put out by the club (in Japanese, of course). I would like to be the one to introduce the idea of having the magazine available in English, too. Of course, I would be the translator, in a perfect world!
7) You get a chance to throw out the first pitch at home games or present “player of the month” awards to players.
So that’s what you get for the cost of a decent dinner for two. Not bad, eh? I’m glad I got my membership this year, and hope to make it easier for everyone to get theirs in 2016!
May everyone enjoy the final few days of 2014! Looking forward to another great year of cheering for the Tigers in 2015! Let’s hope they can win their first title in 30 years! GO TIGERS!
better for you osaka folks, but worth it for the rest of us for the fan jersey (though this year i got the laquer kaban) and the ticket lottery for koshien playoff games
Did you find the magazines useful at all, or did you just thumb through them? Do you think it would be worth the organization’s time/money to put it out in English, too?
theyreneat to have, but being as deficient in the language as i am, on their own they are 5mins of pretty pictures before i give to non-fanclub friends. i would read if english were available.
do mint that i believe they are limited to fanclub members only, so its possible that the organization may take offense to paid content being made freely available in any language. or they might not care at all (or do and are happy to give permission).
Trevor,, you are a true genius. Giving a long suffering(close to 30 yrs) Tigers Fan the opportunity to get closer. Tigers are not about the team it has always been about the fans. Players come and go. I went to Koshien in the early 90’s when right and left stand were empty. It’s the die hard people that make the Tigers so unique. So many organised supporter club over every inch of Japan. I am proud to be associated with the supporter groups in Fukuoka, Sapporo, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Nara and Of course Osaka.
Do u need a Japan address to join the fan club? 2015 memberships now closed?
Thanks for all and look forward to meeting u at Koshien next year. Come to Mizuno Square to before the game to the real die hards.
All the best to you and yours for the NY.
The Gibsons from Down Under
You are too kind, Peter! Thanks! Actually I hope to be at several games next season, and will come to Mizuno Square to meet you and the hard core fans.
I did not see anything on the official “Fan Club” page (on the Tigers’ official website) that says one way or the other about whether or not you need a Japan address. My guess is yes, because the price is fixed but the shipping cost for them to send to Australia or anywhere would make it impractical for them to offer everything at that price. Especially when you consider they send out magazines 4 times a year, too. Still, I wrote them a message and am inquiring about it. I hope to work something out so that all my friends living outside Japan who want the goods can get them.
Yes, unfortunately it looks like they are finished accepting applications for memberships for 2015 already. I really should have gotten this message out to everyone earlier. My bad!
Have a wonderful NY party Down Under! Stay safe, mate!