One of the reason our mascot is a bear because Waseda founder's name is OKUMA Shigenobu.

Saturday, I woke up at 5.30 am, left dorm around 6.50 just to line up for this baseball match between Waseda and Keio University.

Me and my other two class + dorm mates reached Shinanomachi station (信濃町駅) at 7.30. I was wondering why on earth we have to reach so early as the match starts at 1 pm, didn't do any research on this famous match, didn't know that the tickets are not seated tickets.

We had to wait for other international students who might be late or lost, so 1 hour gone.

Then waited for more than 1 hour outside the stadium.

I just wore 4 layers of clothes (bad judgement), wasn't in a great mood. So I kept quiet all the time and listened to podcasts and watching people.

It was super cold and the chilly wind kept blowing non stop. No one knew when the line would start moving, I started to get tulan (impatient), and decided to left the line and went to buy something warm to drink and more food.

The entrance opened just when we left the queuing line. Talk about bad luck.

My other friend almost gone crazy. Luckily, we still managed to get nice seats, just that we were separated from other students, we didn't get to cheer together for our team. But some people behind us seemed to be huge baseball fans. They got all hyped up and sang EVERY song.

Not really in the mood for cheering, very cold you know. Plus Japanese cheering style is kinda...different. More...polite? and too organised.


Waseda actually has a 応援部 (cheering circle) with girls cheer leading squad, orchestra, and a bunch of people in black suits, I think. Notice that person in the left below corner? They do special dance moves too.

Reminds me of my university orientation week. Students from different hostels literally shouted like crazy people until no voice just to beat each others out. Nightmare but, way more interesting, and cruel.

Well, gotta embrace each others' culture. Japanese have their own interesting side when it comes to cheering and stuff.

If you are interested on how we do the cheering and stuff, youtube has a lot of it. Our school song, and the song we sing when we get points. I only know the Waseda, Waseda~ part =x

Waseda beat Keio 3-1. Yay.

My first ever baseball match. Comment: Long, COLD.

No more baseball matches for me. I think I'm the only one who thinks that way, I read other blogs and they really enjoyed it and my other friend was saying that if she has the ticket for Sunday's match she will go.

After the match, we went to have dinner at Matsuya, 580 yen, super full.

Because of the dinner, I was late for my second ever live, AGAIN.

To be continued...

More pictures, report on Sokeisen, can be found here.