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Pages 4-6 & 8Pages 4-6 & 8Japanese pro teams to play May 21-22 on Okinawa

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Kokeshi dolls are a common item carried in many sou-venir shops around Japan.

Some are called “Sayonara Dolls,”

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHOJI KUDAKA,STRIPES OKINAWA

Studio takes pride in Kokeshi dolls have a long history in the country and are thought to have originated in Miyagi Prefecture during the Edo Period (1603-1868), according to The Japan Times. It is because of this history, that the dolls are often

considered a signature craft of the Tohoku region.

Did you know that Okinawa also has its own kind of

kokeshi dolls?“Ryukyu Miyrabi

Kokeshi,” are Okinawan versions of the popular wooden dolls.

Manufactured at a stu-dio run by Taiki Okinawa, a

facility for disabled persons on the island, the dolls are sig-nificantly different from their

mainland counterparts. Just 20 centimeters (7.87

inches) in height there is a significant difference in their silhouette. While

which have become a popular part-ing gift for PCSing U.S. servicemem-bers. A cloth that wraps around the doll unravels to reveal farewell mes-sages from the recipient’s coworkers or friends.

The cylindrical wooden dolls

many traditional kokeshi dolls have a cylindrical torso with a big head, Ryukyu Miyrabi Kokeshi have a sweep-ing profile with a small head on top. Similarly, their small faces have a bright smile and distinct eyes set-ting them apart from the myste-rious countenance with thinly drawn facial features of the mainland dolls. Dressed in traditional Okinawan attire, the small dolls are modeled after ordinary people from the olden days including classical dancers or fish merchants carrying their catch in baskets upon their head.

Taiki’s studio provides work opportunities for disabled people to manu-facture these unique dolls.

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Photo by Jun Sakahira, Stripes Okinawa

VOLUME 13 NO. 21 MAY 16 − MAY 22, 2019 FREESTRIPESOKINAWA.COM SUBMIT STORIES TO: OKINAWA@STRIPES.COM FACEBOOK.COM/STRIPESPACIFIC

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For just $19, customize your own message that will appear in this keepsake edition. What you need:• A photo of the graduate • Graduate’s first name• Your name, as you want it to

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Congratulatea 2019 grad!

SEE KOKESHI ON PAGE 2

A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION MAY 16 − MAY 22, 20192 STRIPES OKINAWA

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Max D. Lederer Jr.Publisher

Lt. Col. Richard E. McClinticCommander

Joshua M LashbrookChief of Staff

Michael DavidsonRevenue Director

Chris VeriganEngagement Director

Marie WoodsPublishing and Media Design Director

Chris CarlsonPublishing and Media Design Manager

Kentaro ShimuraProduction Manager

Rie MiyoshiEngagement Manager

Scott WheelerOkinawa Area Manager

Denisse RaudaPublishing and Media Design Editor

Publishing and Media Design WritersChiHon KimShoji Kudaka

Takahiro Takiguchi

Layout DesignersAyako KamioYukiyo Oda

Yuko OkazakiKayoko Shimoda

Multimedia Consultants Max Genao Doug Johnson Jason Lee Hans Simpson Chae Pang Yi Gianni Youn

Robert Zuckerman

Graphic Designers Kenichi Ogasawara Yosuke Tsuji

Sales Support Kazumi Hasegawa Hiromi Isa Ichiro Katayanagi Yoko Noro Yoichi Okazaki Yusuke Sato Chae Yon Son Saori Tamanaha

paint their own authentic Oki-nawan kokeshi doll for them-selves. Instructions are given in Japanese only, so bring along a friend who can speak Japanese and don’t forget to book in ad-vance.

Recently, a group of Camp Courtney and Camp McTure-ous students had a chance to visit Taiki’s studio.

After their group tour, the children care-fully penciled the facial features onto their wooden dolls. When they reached the col-oring phase, the children’s creative side took the lead. Some of the children’s dolls ended up with multicolored hair instead of the conventional black hair or with humorous facial expressions.

“I like painting all of it. But the most difficult part was doing the face,” Cameron, one of the children in the group, said as he dried his kokeshi doll.

After the paint was dry, each doll was carefully wrapped in “bingata,” the traditional dyed fabric of Okinawa. Although

they were yet to carry any mes-sage inside, the chil-dren’s own “Sayonara Dolls” were already very special.

For a departure from the usual craft plac-es around the island, Taiki offers a unique experience to create a uniquely Okinawa craft all while supporting a group of talented craftsmen.kudaka.shoji@stripes.com

“We have been manufac-turing the kokeshi dolls for 47 years,” said Takahiro Shinzato, a Taiki employee.

The studio employs seven disabled persons, two of which have over 47 years of expe-rience decorating the dolls, Shinzato added. Since each kokeshi doll is handcrafted here and the process takes any-where from three to six months per doll, the studio only makes about 500 dolls or less per year.

Getting your hands on one of these special dolls might be dif-ficult as only a few retail stores on the island stock them, but Taiki sells them and also opens its doors to those who would like to learn how the Okinawan dolls are made by making their own.

For a small fee (1,500 yen or $13.50 per person/doll), visitors get a tour of the studio filled with machines, tools and lum-ber, where the craftsmen work daily. There visitors learn the dolls are made of Okinawa Pine, or Ryukyu Matsu, and Sty-rax japonica, or Ego no Ki lum-ber and about the painstaking process it takes to paint each doll’s meticulous facial details by hand.

In the second portion of the tour, visitors have a chance to

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

KOKESHI: Dolls made by hand

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TAIKI OKINAWAGPS COORDINATES: N 26.115799, E 127.717274DIRECTIONS: Take the Okinawa Expressway. Take exit No. 1. Go south on Route 82. Make a left to Route 507 and go south. Make a right to Route 331 and go south. Make a right and go North on Route 15. Taiki is on the right. EMAIL: taki@okisin.jpTEL: 098-851-7522FAX: 098-851-9522WEBSITE: http://www.okisin.jp/taiki/kokesi-shoukai2.pdfCOST: The hands-on workshop for dollmaking costs 1,500 yen per person/per doll.

ABOUT TAIKI OKINAWA

Before it was Taiki Okinawa, the facility was

called Okinawa Shintai Shougaisha Shokugyo

Shidousho (Okinawa vocational guidance

center for disabled) and was run by the Okinawa

Association of Disabled Veterans (Okinawa

Shoui Gunjin Kai) in Naha City. Production of

the Okinawan kokeshi dolls started in 1972

at two facilities that would later merge to

become Taiki Okinawa in 2009.

Aside from the kokeshi doll studio,

physically-disabled persons also grow

vegetables and bake bread at the facility,

which is all available for purchase.

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STRIPES OKINAWA 3MAY 16 − MAY 22, 2019 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION

20TH BEACH VOLLEY MIYAKO JIMA 2019: June 1-2; Beach volleyball tournament at Miyako Island’s Yonahamaehama Beach; register by May 10; registration fee: 4-player team-10,000 yen, 2-player team-5,000 yen; 4-player team must consist of 2 males and 2 females; free to watch; 0980-73-1881; www.bvmm.jp/index.html.

IESON KAIJIN SAI: June 6, 1-8 p.m. (*schd-ule subject to change); festival to pray for

locals gather and compete in sumo wrestling, dance, folk dance, and karaoke; at Ie Port Upu-guchi no Hama on Ie Island; free admission; no parking available; 0980-49-2035.

ISHIGAKI CITY HARYUSEN KYOSO TAIKAI: June 6, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.; dragon boat race at Ish-igaki Fishing Port; free to watch; free parking available; 0980-82-2448.

KUMEJIMA HA-RI-: June 6 & 9; at Torishima Fishing Port, Mahaku Fishing Port on the 6th, Gima Fishing Port on the 9th; free to watch; free parking available; 098-896-7010; www.kanko-kumejima.com/.

14TH SEA WATER DREAM FESTIVAL: Jun. 8, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Jun. 12 is set as Kume Is-land’s Deep Ocean Water Day (as the island’s water intake is from water depth 612 meters); deep ocean water item sales, Foot Cool event to experience the cold deep ocean water, etc.; at Point Pyuru’s parking lot ; free admission; free parking available; 098-851-9162; www.town.kumejima.okinawa.jp/.

13TH BATEN HA-RI-: June 9, 1 p.m.; at Baten Port in Nanjo City; free to watch; no parking available; 098-947-6510; www.tsu-hakojichikai.org/.

14TH TOMARIIYUMACHI, FATHER’S DAY FISH FAIR-TUNA FESTIVAL: Jun. 15-16, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; tuna cutting performance at Tomari Fish Market in Naha City; free admis-sion; 098-868-1096.

MAJA INAHO SAI SUMO: June 17, 4 p.m.;

Okinawa Sumo competitions; register on the day of the event to participate; free to watch; at the Maja Bosatsudo Square; 098-896-7010; www.kanko-kumejima.com/.

SUTSU UNAPUKA: June 25; Sutsu means season, Unapuka means celebration, gratitude, and festival; originally; this is a festival to offer millet, so it takes place in the lunar calendar’s May, the harvest time for millet; free admission; four locations on Tarama Island; 0980-79-2260; www.vill.tarama.okinawa.jp/.

OKINAWA FOOD FLEA: June 1, noon-9 p.m., 2, noon-7 p.m.; a part of Okinawa E-Motion; Okinawan food festival; at Umi-sora Park in Naha City; free admission;

42nd ZAMAMI YACHT RACE: June 22, 8:25 a.m.-1 p.m., commendation party 6-9 p.m.; Okinawa’s most historical yacht race; races from Ginowan Marina to Za-mami Port; free experience test-ride event, hula dance, and Eisa events at the party; free admission; no parking avail-able; 098-987-2277; www.vill.zamami.okinawa.jp/.

BIOS NO OKA NIGHT TOUR: May 18 - June 30; 6:15-9 p.m.; open for night time for limited period; see and learn more

plants at night; admission: 1,800 yen for adults (middle school students and older), 1,000 yen for 4-year-old to elementary school students; free parking available; 098-965-3400; www.bios-hill.co.jp/en/.

20TH SABANI HANSOU RACE: Jun. 29-30; 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. award ceremony and party from 6 p.m.; sailing race from Zamami Island (Furu Zamami Beach) to Naha Port; free to watch; no parking avail-able; 098-987-2277; www.photowave.jp/sabani_s/.

EISA NIGHT: June 13-July 27; Enjoy watching Eisa at several locations on Okinawa; Jun 16, 22, 29, July 6 & 27 at Koza Music Town, June 30 at Southeast Botanical Garden; July 7 at Okinawa City Hall; July 20 at Payao Exchange Square; free admission; parking available (fees may apply at certain locations); 098-989-5566; www.kozaweb.jp/eisa/night.html.

12TH TOMIGUSUKU HA-RI-: July 28, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; at Toyosaki Marine Park; 090-8291-4909; www.tomigusuku-ryusen.jimdo.com/.

STRIPES OKINAWA

Fun events planned on Okinawa

Stripes Okinawa is A Stars and Stripes Community Publication. This newspaper is authorized for publication by the Department of Defense for members of the military services overseas. However, the contents of Stripes Okinawa are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense

or the U.S. Pacific Command. As a DOD newspaper, Stripes Okinawa may be distributed through official channels and use appropriated funds for distribution to remote and isolated locations where overseas DOD personnel are located. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of

those products by the Department of Defense or Stars and Stripes. Products or services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.

File photo

A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION MAY 16 − MAY 22, 20194 STRIPES OKINAWA

Photos by Jun Sakahira, Stripes Okinawa

A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION MAY 16 Y − MAY 22, 2019

Photos by Jun Sakahira Stripes Okinawa

CAMP FUJI

YOKOTA AB

NAF A

CAMP ZAMA

MCAS IWAKUNI

SASEBONAVAL BASE

CHUNICHI DRAGONS NAGOYA

NAGOYA DOME

HIROSHIMA TOYO CARHIROSHIMA

MAZDA ZOOM-ZOOM STADIU

TOKYO YAKULT SWALLOWSTOKYO

MEIJI JINGU STADIUM

YOMIURI GIANTSTOKYO

TOKYO DOME

YOKOHAMA DENA BAYSTARS YOKOHAMA

YOKOHAMA STADIUM

CENTRAL LEAGUE

CHIBA LOTTE MARINESCHIBA

ZOZO MARINE STADIUM

FUKUOKA SOFTBANK HAWFUKUOKA

FUKUOKA YAHUOKU! DOME

HOKKAIDO NIPPON-HAM FIGHSAPPORO

SAPPORO DOME

ORIX BUFFALOESOSAKA

KYOCERA DOME OSAKA

PACIFIC LEAGUE

HANSHIN TIGERSNISHINOMIYA CITY

HANSHIN KOSHIEN STADIUM

Coming to a park near you

CAMP FUJI7/5 (Fri.) 6 p.m.,

Swallows vs Dragonsin Hamamatsu (2-hour drive from base)

7/17 (Wed.) 6 p.m.,Dragons vs Tigers

in Toyohashi (2.5-hour drive from base)

MISAWA AB5/29 (Wed.) 6 p.m.,

Golden Eagles vs Lionsin Hirosaki (2-hour drive from base)

6/29 (Sat.) 6 p.m. and 6/30 (Sun.) 1:30 p.m., Swallows vs Giants

in Akita (4-hour drive from base)

OKINAWA5/21 (Tue.), 5/22 (Wed.), 6:30 p.m.

Saitama Seibu Lions vs. Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Naha

STRIPES OKINAWA 5MAY 16 − MAY 22, 2019 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION

Ask your friends what the national sport of Japan is, and al-though many of them will give you the right answer (sumo, of course), some might say “it should be baseball.”

Called “yakyuu” (literally, field ball), baseball is one of the most popular games in Japan, despite not being the national sport. Baseball is inescapable in Japan these days. In less than 150 years, we have nearly turned an imported sport into our na-tional sport.

Here, the sport can be much like politics and religion - bring up a specific team or a player, and you better be prepared for a conversation that could quickly become heated.

The Nippon Profes-sional Baseball league, or NPB, is the league when it comes to baseball in Ja-pan. With 12 teams scat-tered from the northern mainland of Hokkaido to the southern mainland of Kyushu, many of Japan’s major cities have a team to call their own. And for residents of these cities, the loyalty and dedication to their teams is usually as strong as they come.

The history of baseball in Japan goes back to 1871, when for-eigners living in Yokohama would play against crews of the USS Colorado at what is now Yokohama Stadium. Baseball then spread among Japanese through American teachers and residents, with the first professional baseball association being established in 1920. Professional teams then formed one after another, starting with the Tokyo Giants in 1934, Osaka Tigers in 1935 and Nagoya Dragons in 1936.

Today, just like the Nation-al and American Leagues of MLB in the U.S., there are two leagues in the NPB - Central and Pacific. The Central League has tradi-tionally been more popular than Pacific League, as the two most popular teams, Giants (Tokyo) and Ti-gers (Hyogo), belong to the Central.

Many say the recent popu-larity of Giants has signifi-cantly dropped. The team has always been the most popular, with most manga and anima-tion films on professional base-ball in Japan usually featuring heroes from the Giants. The team is likened to the New York Yankees, and it is often said that there are two kinds Japanese – pro-Giants and anti-Giants.

Not a baseball enthusiast myself, I was born and raised in the Kanto Plain, and therefore a Giants fan throughout my child-

hood, just like most of my friends. I proudly wore a G-marked shirt and ball cap, cried when Shigeo Na-gashima retired from the Giants in 1974, and was overcome with joy when slugger Sadaharu Oh hit his then-record breaking 756th homerun in 1977.

Since Hideo Nomo be-came a historical success with the Dodgers in the mid-90s, star players such

as Ichiro, Hideki Matsui and Koji Uehara have taken their world-class capabilities to the MLB one after another. The NPB has be-come somewhat of a minor league for MLB, and those players who have succeeded in the U.S., have become even bigger rock-stars in their home country.

While there are many similarities between NPB and the MLB, there are some drastic differences that you notice the minute you walk into a Japanese stadium. For one, fans become cheerleaders

in the stands while their team is at bat. Each player has a unique song, and every fan knows the lyrics to chant along. Secondly,

the cold beer conveniently served at your seat is done so by a petite Japanese “beer girl”. It’s a stark contrast to the big and loud “beer guys” yelling “Beer here!” in the U.S.

Visit the nearest ballpark to your base and see these differences for yourself. Check out YouTube in prep-aration for your team’s cheers, and make sure to grab yourself a cold biru

to wash down that bento box.takiguchi.takahiro@stripes.com

BY TAKAHIRO TAKIGUCHI, STRIPES OKINAWA

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ETS? To get tickets, you can visit a team’s official website.

Once you reserve the seats you want, there are

several options, but often you can go pay and pick

up your tickets at most convenience stores nearby.

There is also the option of picking up tickets the

day of the game at the ballpark, but be aware that

games often sell out, especially on the weekends.

MAY 16 Y − MAY 22, 2019 A STARS A

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A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION MAY 16 − MAY 22, 20196 STRIPES OKINAWA

Photos by Chi-Hung Lin

NOTABLE NPB PLAYERS PLAYING

IN MLBShohei Otani

Masahiro TanakaYu Darvish

Yusei KikuchiKenta Maeda

Yoshihisa HiranoJunichi Tazawa

Kazuhisa Makita

NOTABLE FORMER MLB PLAYERS

PLAYING IN NPBWladimir Balentien

Dave HuffRyan Cook

Christian VillanuevaAlex GuerreroSpencer Patton

Jose LopezEnny RomeroDayan Viciedo

Pierce JohnsonJefry Marte

Randy MessengerAriel MirandaNick MartinezKennys Vargas

Frank Herrmann

NPB’S FOOD LINEUPA Sampling of the unique meals you can taste at a ballpark in Japan

One of the most unique aspects of Japanese baseball is how fans watch the game. While there are many families at stadiums, a ball-

game is also a great social gathering place for busi-nessmen. Many companies own season tickets to entertain clients, and as all Japanese stadiums are located in major cities, businessmen will enjoy a game with a cold beer after work, much like an iza-kaya or beer garden.

American newcomers to these games are often surprised, not only by the fans’ enthusiasm for their teams, but also the in-stadium vendors serving up those tasty cold ones. Used to hearing a male voice yelling “beer here,” or some form of that, in the U.S.,

Americans get their drinks from something that’s unique to Japan: Beer girls.

The Uriko, or so called beer girls, are young women who have been the belle of the ballgame ex-perience for decades, serving anything from beer to chuhai, soda and more. And unlike their male coun-terparts in Major League Baseball, the beer girls trek around with a 30-plus pound keg strapped to their backs.

Naho, a college student, expressed her motivation for being a beer girl for the Yokohama BayStars.

“I started this job because I liked certain baseball players,” Naho said. “I love it because I can work in an environment where my favorite players play baseball.”

Serving up ballgame brews is a popular part-time job among students, even though it is physically

demanding and sometimes the weather can be less than ideal.

“There are two types of Uriko: the ones who love baseball and the ones who simply love this job,” Naho said.

Some former beer girls have gone on to become TV stars. Not only are they vendors who serve spec-tators, but also idol-like figures that enhance the baseball experience for many.

“Even if you have not been to a game before, you can enjoy the Japanese ballgame atmosphere,” Naho said.

As it gets warmer, nothing goes better with a baseball game than a refreshing cold beer, so why not experience one of the many things that’ll make you say, “Only in Japan!”?sakahira.jun@stripes.com

BY JUN SAKAHIRA,STRIPES OKINAWA

STRIPES OKINAWA 7MAY 16 − MAY 22, 2019 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION

ACROSS1 "___ she blows!"5 Petty malice

10 Heavy reading14 TV skipper Alan15 Island greeting16 Locket shape17 Castaway's

home18 Salad ingredient20 Book keeper22 Scottish cap23 Hoops game for

two24 Honking flock26 Anagram for

"lane"28 Kiddie transport31 Up and about34 Gravy dish35 Aquatic shocker36 Navy clerk38 Beard on grain39 Whole number41 Bakery buy42 Fairly new 3 Loyalty 32 Wilde's "The 50 Put on a show44 Film director's 4 Vote for again _______ of 52 Baby bird sound

cry 5 Woodshop tool Being Earnest" 53 Choir member45 Kennedy 6 Blood clotting aid 33 Salary increase 54 Quick kiss

matriarch 7 Itty-bitty bit 37 Scholarship 56 Poker payment46 Renter's 8 Kind of song or basis 58 Big-ticket ___

document park 39 Dig 59 Mythical queen 47 In shreds 9 Place for a plug 40 Kind of angel of Carthage49 Bad-mannered 10 Home of the 43 Aural ailment 61 Backstabber51 Strike back, say Maple Leafs 45 Get back 62 Bawl52 Pertaining to the 11 Recovered from 48 Water source

Pope 12 The "m" in some55 Bonkers physics 57 Tartan cloth equations60 Vaper's "e" 13 Ultimatum ender63 Part of ABM 19 Shot follower64 Make an 21 Tina of "Date

impression? Night"65 ____ of roses 25 Like some 66 Type of tea candles67 Finger jab 27 Newborn's outfit68 Itsy-bitsy 28 Way up the 69 Workplace note slope

29 Spiked wheel onDOWN a spur

1 With-ring link 30 Campaign 2 Breakfast dish poster word

The Weekly Crossword by Margie E. Burke

Copyright 2019 by The Puzzle Syndicate

Answers to Last Week’s Crossword:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31 32 33

34 35 36 37

38 39 40 41

42 43 44 45

46 47 48

49 50 51

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

60 61 62 63

64 65 66

67 68 69

P A T E C A R O M S T A RE L A N O L I V E P A R AL O N G L O S A N G E L E SL E T A L O N E T O E C A P

A G A P E M O O DE N M E S H F O R S W E A RM O O T O T U P E A G L EO P U S N O T E D Y O G AT E N T H T O D O S C A DE S T R O G E N C O M E L Y

I T E M H U M A NM A I D E N D E M E N T E DA C C E L E R A T E T R A YI R O N R E R U N R I C KD E N T A D E P T A C H E

DID YOUKNOW?

Language Lesson

Kanji of the week

Stripes Sports Trivia

Answer

Answers to Last Week’s Sudoku:

H igan is a seven-day Buddhist memorial service held three days before, after and on the spring

and autumn equinox (Mar. 21 and Sep. 24) to honor loved ones who have died. Many mainland Japanese visit family tombs to offer prayers for deceased friends and family during the period. On Okinawa, families traditionally gather at their ancestral tombs for the Shiimii Festival, which occurs every year during the third lunar month in early April.

Kuroi/koku(Black)

Help!

Tasukete!

Growing up in the 1990s, LeBron James, like most young hoopsters, idolized Michael Jordan. Now,

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School

What you need to know Stand up when your team is batting

Each player has a cheer when at bat

The Giants are equal to the Yankees

The Giants-Tigers rivalry is therefore Yankees-Red Sox Games can end in a tie after 12 innings

4 foreign players are allowed on the 25-man roster (no more than 3 pitchers or 3 hitters)

NPB NOTES

The single season record for batting average is not held by Ichiro.

It’s held by American Randy Bass who hit .389 in 1986. Ichiro’s best

was .387 in 2000.

Former Mariners and Reds outfielder Wladimir Balentien hit 60 homeruns

in 2013 - the single season record.

Until it was broken in 2015, former Cubs outfielder Matt Murton held the

record for hits in a season with 214.

Another former Cub, Tuffy Rhodes, won the Pacific League MVP for the

Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2001. Rhodes hit 55

homers and drove in 131 runs.

The nearly 100-year-old Meiji Jingu

Stadium, home to the Tokyo Yakult

Swallows, isn’t just named after Meiji

Shrine – it’s actually owned by the

famous shrine.

O kinawa doesn’t have a professional base-ball team of their own, even though popu-larity of the sport continues to be high on

the island. But once a year, two teams make a way to the island to quench the thirst for ball games.

Come May 21-22, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Saitama Seibu Lions will play two games at Okinawa Cellular Stadium Naha, near Naha Mili-tary Port.

This will be a re-match of the last year’s play-off where the Hawks beat the Lions to move on to the Japan Series and ultimately became the champion for the second straight year. Over the last couple of years, heated competitions have been played out between the two team, and their rivalry is expected to carry on through this two-game series.

For those who have heard about professional baseball games in Japan, a game day experience at Tokyo Dome or Hanshin Koshien Stadium may be the first thing that comes to their mind. But

the Okinawa Cellular Stadium holds an intriguing place in the pages of the pro-baseball’s history in Japan.

It was on May 20 in 1961 that a professional baseball game was played for the first time on Okinawa, according to the Sports Commission Okinawa. The game took place at Ohnoyama Baseball Stadium, the precursor of Okinawa Cel-lular Stadium Naha. Back then, the prefecture was still under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Back then, Tickets were $4 for a scouts seat behind home plate, $2.50 for a concrete seat on the third-base side, $2 for a seat on an embankment and $1 for a bleacher seat. The game was played be-tween Toei Flyers (now known as the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters) and Nishitetsu Lions, which later became the Saitama Seibu Lions. A crowd of 14,000 reportedly came to the stadium.

Almost six decades later, the annual games on Okinawa continue to be a prime opportunity for quality baseball and a fun-packed game-day ex-perience. kudaka.shoji@stripes.com

BY SHOJI KUDAKA STRIPES OKINAWA

Japanese pro baseball teams to clash May 21-22 on Okinawa

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DATE: May 21-22 Gates open: 4:30 p.m. Game time: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Okinawa Cellular Stadium Naha (near Naha Millitary Port, 42-1 Oonomiya-cho, Naha-city)TICKETS: Tickets: 2,000- 7,000 yen for adults, 600- 6,500 yen for children

*Parking is not available at the venue. *Kadena ITT offers tours for the games ($38 for ages 4 and above, $5 for ages 3 and below) For more info, check out (http://www.kadenafss.com/travel/itt-travel/)