Toreba no Toraba: JapanBall Debuts in Okinawa!

From the Daily Sports Online column / デイリースポーツオンラインの連載コラムから

You know you’ve found the perfect job when you find yourself shaking your head going, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this. Honestly, I’d do it for free.” At the end of February, I found myself in exactly that situation. (Don’t tell my boss what I said about the money, though!)

A little background about the boss and this job: JapanBall has been in operation since 1999, when founder Bob Bavasi got the idea to take people across the ocean to Japan and show them a different brand of the game that they loved. I practically begged my way onto the staff in 2016. Some three years later, at the end of the 2019 tour, Shane Barclay took over the business. Because of Covid restrictions, the tour didn’t happen in any of his first three years at the helm. Last year, at long last, Shane and his crew were back in Japan. (While waiting for Japan to reopen its doors to tourists, Shane found amazing ways to expand the tours being offered. JapanBall now takes people to the Dominican Republic, Europe, Alaska, and Korea. Shane is looking into many other global locations, too – some of which you’d never guess had baseball (but they do!).

On the note of expansion, this past month, JapanBall conducted its inaugural tour of Okinawa, where a crew of nine American tourists took in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) spring training. I was blessed to join as a tour guide, and spent five days traveling around the island with the group to various team camps.

If I may say so myself, I was a perfect fit for the job. I know Japanese baseball like very few do in the English-speaking world. I speak the language of the land, so I can translate when needed. I lived in Okinawa for twelve years before calling Kansai my home. And of course, I was already part of the JapanBall family.

Instead of boring you with details of where we went (OK, I’ll bore you a bit), let me tell you about the tour group and what they thought of the trip. We saw six camp facilities in total (Marines, Fighters, Giants, Swallows, Dragons, and Carp) while also being able to see three exhibition games, all involving our beloved Hanshin Tigers – they lost them all quite convincingly – so we saw a total of seven teams.

Five of the nine guests on the tour come from a Japanese background, but none of them spoke the language particularly well. They did, however, have an affinity for the culture, the food, and the people. One of them was once a baseball coach for high schools and colleges, so he particularly enjoyed the practice regimens. Another of them currently lives in Vietnam, but is extremely interested in learning Japanese. He spent many a bus ride studying Anki flashcards on his phone and asking me language questions. Four of the guests were first-timers with JapanBall, while five were returnees. 

Baseball aside, we also got to see a lot of Japan’s tropical island: Churaumi Aquarium, Shuri Castle, Chuko Awamori distillery, the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, plus a whole lot more sites connected to the island’s storied (but little-known) history. Many participants said these side trips were the highlights of the trip. “After the tour, we have an understanding of the Okinawan people and how they suffered tremendous hardship before, during, and after the war.” One participant took it a step further, saying, “I am truly amazed that there was no hostility toward me as an American. Quite the opposite.”

Though fan atmosphere at baseball games was different down in Okinawa, where games do not bear any significant consequence, the people in the stands still left an indelible mark on members of our tour. “The joyful commitment of the Japanese baseball fans” was the highlight of the tour for one member. Another said, “The fans are one of the main reasons I come to Japan.” One even admitted that “Japanese fans are far more passionate and loyal than those in the U.S.”

As I spoke with the guests, they all expressed gratitude for being part of this first JapanBall trip to Okinawa. They may not have left with a new favorite team or player, but they definitely have a new love for the southernmost island chain in Japan. Everyone that I asked said they would definitely recommend the tour to others, and want to come back if the opportunity presents itself. 

For myself, this was easily my favorite JapanBall tour of the five I have joined to date. Until now, I have only had responsibility for taking our groups to games in western Japan, and spent no more than three days with them. This time, though, I was able to get to know everyone well, spending quality time with each of them over meals, snacks, in the stands, and in the bus. Though I was a member of the staff and they were my “customers”, I definitely felt more like I had forged friendships with nine wonderful people.

And that is precisely what I love about this game, and about sports in general. There is an intangible force at work when fans gather, regardless of nationality or background. It forges bonds between kindred spirits and creates memories that last a lifetime. And as I said at the beginning of this piece, that is all I need. I would do it again, even without pay, because it has made my life so much richer than it was before the adventure began. (Again, if you share this with the boss, do not leak the first half of that last sentence to him!)