Victory Parades Draw a Million Fans

The Hanshin Tigers won their first pennant in 18 years. The Orix Buffaloes won the Pacific League for the third straight season. The two teams faced off in what will surely go down as a classic Japan Series. Long before the results of that series were known (and surely, you know by now that the Tigers won 4 games to 3), Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures were putting plans into motion to hold victory parades for each team in both cities – on the same day.

It is no coincidence that November 23 was Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan. Because it was a national holiday (a Thursday that coincided with the US Thanksgiving holiday), many were free to attend the events. Hanshin would have their victory parades in Kobe at 11:00 am and in Osaka at 2:00 pm. The Buffaloes would do the opposite.

Sponichi reports that there were 300,000 in attendance at the morning parade (Hanshin) and another 150,000 in the afternoon (Orix) in Kobe, while the numbers in Osaka (200,000 in the morning for Orix and 350,000 in the afternoon for Hanshin) were even bigger. This was the first time ever that parades for both teams were held in the same year, let alone the same day. The last time Hanshin celebrated in 2005, the parade was only held in Osaka, so for those gathering in Kobe, it was the first time since 2003.

I was in attendance at the morning victory parade in Kobe, and let me tell you, it was VERY crowded. Foot traffic was at a standstill, roads were barricaded off, and crosswalks were limited in some areas. As the three buses slowly passed by, fans were able to see half of the players and coaches in attendance, depending on which side of the road they were positioned. Check out this video to see things from my vantage point…

That said, Mainichi Newspaper reported on perhaps what could be seen as a blemish on Osaka’s permanent record… and for once, it wasn’t the Tigers fans gaining even greater notoriety. The gist of the article is that the people who lined the streets in Kobe to ensure that order was kept were paid, and given the next day off of work (since they worked a national holiday), while those who did the same in Osaka were not compensated and had to provide their own lunch and transportation to and from the event. They did not get a compensatory day off, either. It must have been an exhausting day, even if they did not have to physically confront any fans. Just standing by for seven straight hours caused one man in his fifties to grumble that he wished the two prefectures would treat the workers equally.

When all was said and done, it was a busy two days for yours truly. I met a TV crew at the parade, we shuffled through the crowd to get a good vantage point and some good footage for TV, and got yelled at by several people for being in their way (and I apologize to them from the bottom of my heart). Then I was filmed more at home the next morning, and got interviewed for a spot on a different show right after that… all the while thinking about how to make a good article and video out of this all. (I am also working on multiple other projects, which I will hopefully be able to announce to you in due time!)

The Hanshin Tigers have given us so much this year, have they not? I know that I, for one, am extremely thankful for them and for all of you during this season of reflecting on all the wonderful things we have received in our lives. Enjoy the offseason, and stay tuned because we will be reporting all the news to you as it unfolds!