You get to Koshien Stadium, and get to your seats. All around you, people are smacking plastic bats together as they sing the player cheer songs. They all have cool designs, and you want some of your own. Where did they get them? (They’re available at the two shops before you enter the stadium proper, and at select merchandise stands on the concourse.) How do you choose yours? Here’s a look at three different sizes. There are more than these, including “banana bats”, but basically this will give you an idea of what you can get.
Kids bats are good for, well, kids. They’re smaller, lighter, make less noise, and come with a string attaching the bats instead of a chain. They cost ¥650 (tax included).
The standard bats have a decided advantage over the next set. They’re smaller and fit well into most bags and backpacks. If you’re just visiting Japan, you can easily stash them in your luggage and get them back to your home country, where you can show them off to everyone else. They make enough noise, have a chain attaching them together, and are the same price as the kids’ ones.
Finally, there are the mega-bats. You could hold these bats akin to a flute, a trumpet and a tuba – these ones give a chunkier, lower sound, and are quite loud. They make you look a bit tougher, too. The disadvantage is that they are bulky, hard to pack, and will cost you ¥650 apiece. That’s right – they are not sold in sets, but individually. So you gotta buy two if you want to smack them together.
So there you have it. Buy them and consider them a cheap souvenir. Or if you plan on attending more games, consider them an indispensable item for all your game day fun!