Justin Altman Blog 5/28

There are days on a trip where everything just clicks, and today was one of them. We met in the hotel lobby at 8:00 AM and took the subway to MUFG Stadium, where we had a lecture outside before the tour. The lecture focused on comparing yesterday's Tokyo Dome experience to games back home. The seats were way more compact with barely any legroom, but the bathrooms were surprisingly nice, individual and private, which I've never seen at a stadium before. We also compared KBO and NPB games, and the main difference was that the crowd sections in NPB were smaller and pushed further into the outfield.

The stadium tour itself was really cool. We saw the place from the upper level, walked through the VVIP club for the Prime Minister, checked out the VIP lounge, and got down onto the turf. Getting on the actual field was probably my favorite part. One detail that stood out was the wooden ceiling. Each section represents a different city in Japan and together they form the shape of the country's map. A really unique architectural touch.

After the tour we had a recap discussion on China and the start of Japan. The biggest thing I took away was how much easier the language barrier is to navigate here compared to China. On the sports side, it was interesting talking about how one player can shift an entire country's relationship with a sport. For example, Yao Ming with the NBA in China and Ichiro with MLB across Asia. The Ohtani point was also interesting because there are barely any Angels fans left in Tokyo even though he played there for years. Now that he's a Dodger, everyone's a Dodgers fan. Fandom here follows the player, not the team.

After the discussion Spencer, Jason, Ryan and I walked to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant nearby for lunch. I got tuna, salmon, and a california roll and it was all incredible. Easily one of my favorite meals of the trip.

After lunch Spencer and I headed to Tokyo DisneySea, which is ranked the number one Disney park in the world. I was worried about lines but we paid a per ride fee to skip them and ended up hitting all seven rides we wanted. The highlight was Journey to the Center of the Earth which went 47 mph and had a 65 foot drop at the end. Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania were great too. The park totally exceeded my expectations. We caught the tail end of the nighttime water show before slipping out and grabbed a 25 minute Uber back toward the hotel.

Before calling it a night Spencer and I stopped at a sushi restaurant around 10:00 PM near the hotel. We got an assortment of sushi and rolls, and honestly it might have topped lunch. The difference was the seating, as we sat at the counter with the sushi chef right in front of us, which made the whole experience feel completely different. Watching everything get made up close just added another level to it. The perfect way to end the day.

Jason Glick Blog 5/28

Tokyo is unlike any city we’ve stayed in thus far for its unique culture, food and shopping, and we hadn’t had too much of an opportunity to explore that. That changed on Thursday, May 28 — a day that began with an organized group tour of the Olympic MUFG Stadium and was followed by plentiful free time.

The 8:00 a.m. start time definitely was not ideal — especially for people who enjoy sleeping late like me — and earlier than the average day on the trip, but it paved the way for more time on our own later on.

As it is almost every day, our means of transportation is the subway. The Tokyo Metro is very big, as we’ve learned across the past few days, with nine lines. We typically take the Ginza Line to get to and from our hotel, but we had to transfer on some lines a bit to get within walking distance of the stadium.

It took just shy of an hour to get to the correct subway stop, and it was then a 10-15-minute walk to reach the stadium. We had some time before the 9:30 a.m. tour, so professor Jamie Kim had us sit down outside in the shade to discuss the past day. Specifically, Wednesday, when we visited MLB Asia and attended a Nippon Professional Baseball game. We had discussed the marketing approaches that defer between Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan for baseball and also contrasted Korean and Japanese in-game experiences, having attended games in both countries.

That concluded the small lecture, and it was time for our stadium tour. As we passed through a side entrance, there was a small screen showing the site of this stadium being built in the mid-late 2010s. We were also handed a two-sided paper that detailed the history and features of the stadium.

There were countless strong angles we got, peering across the stadium and at the field. There was an upper-deck view, one on the first level, one in a fancy lounge and — best of all — one on the field. It was an overwhelmingly fun experience being on the pitch that hosts so many soccer matches and concerts. It felt that every stop was designed to give us insight into what different types of ticketing offers. Granted, our tour was fully in Japanese alongside another tour group, but I clearly got a sense of the tour’s angle.

One of the coolest parts of the tour was that, on the field level, we had the opportunity to explore the locker rooms and hallways the teams use. There were interesting memorabilia and signings on the wall of former players and even signed team pages; even some of the early 2000s Real Madrid teams were present.

After the tour concluded, we wrapped up our organized class outside with another discussion, recalling our time in Beijing and comparing stadium models. We had announcements for Friday, and then, by early afternoon, we were off on our own.

I went out with three members of the trip to a revolving sushi restaurant — we couldn’t resist it before Friday’s group lunch in a similar setting. It took a few subway stops to arrive, and soon, we were gobbling salmon and tuna nigiri rolls, ordering off a touch screen. The prices, in Yen, were quite cheap, as sushi is charged for much more in the United States.

Then, I headed to Shibuya with my trip roommate to take in one of the world’s most famous shopping areas. It had some parallels to the likes of Times Square but also had its own Japanese nuances.

I was most enthralled by some of the athletic clothing stores. There was Nike, Adidas, Reebok; you name it. My goal with shopping was to get something I couldn’t find anywhere else, specifically with Japanese logos or phrases, so I took that into account when purchasing items. There were also interesting pop-up shops with themes from Star Wars to Pokémon to Back to the Future. And we were sure to cross the renowned Shibuya Crossing, which has to be the world’s busiest crosswalk.

It was late afternoon, and I had already reached 20,000 steps, so my roommate and I headed back to the hotel on a long subway ride. I took a small nap, and we headed out to dinner on the subway in the Asakusa area we visited Tuesday. We went to a kobe beef sushi restaurant. It was unlike anything I’d ever had before with raw beef stuck to rice instead of fish, but I was impressed.

It got pretty late, so we headed back to the hotel for the night after our final free day of the entire trip before it all comes to a close Friday.

Jack Farkas - 5/27 Blog

    
    On Wednesday, I woke up at 8:20, because the group was leaving at 9.  To start off the day we had a meeting with MLB Japan. This office controlled everything related to MLB actions in Japan, and plenty of us were excited for their presentation and the chance to ask questions afterward.  We got there 30 minutes before our meeting at 10:30, because of how important it is to be punctual in Japanese culture. After checking out a local convenience store, we headed up to the meeting where we were greeted and led to the meeting room. During this meeting they talked about expanding the MLB in an already mature baseball market, dealing with different time zones, and their relationship with NPB. 

 

After the meeting we headed to a mall to get lunch. We ate at a hibachi restaurant, which was different from typical hibachi in the states as they did not cook in front of f you, however the steak was exceptional. We were given some time to look around the mall, before going back to the same building to meet with PGA Japan, for a meeting that was added to the schedule about an hour prior. The mall contained numerous amounts of luxury stores, so I only looked around the golf shops for a little while before heading to the meeting. Due to short notice, PGA Japan did not have anything planned, but they were able to give valuable insight into my project group about having a tournament in Asia and operating in that market. 

 

The last thing on the schedule for Wednesday was the NPB game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Softbank Hawks. In the hour and a half, before we entered the gates, I was able to buy plenty of Giants merchandise, including a Masahiro Tanaka jersey. A group of us were also able to a get some Shake Shack for dinner before we walked in the stadium and found our seats. For the first inning, I watched from the third base line at our regular seats, however I wanted to explore the stadium a little bit more and ended up athe right foul pole for an inning, and the left foul pole for the rest of the time I was at the game. The environment felt like a mix of the high energy crowds of the KBO, while also keeping a heavy focus on the baseball that was being played. For the league typically being played with a dead ball, we got to see plenty of action, as there wasconsistently base runners in every inning, and the Giants even put up five in the fourth. Eventually, a group of us went back around the end of the seventh inning and headed back to the hotel. 

Ryan Forman Blog 5/28

 After spending the last stretch of this trip in China, today marked our second full day in Japan, and it really felt like we were starting to settle into the nonstop energy of Tokyo. Everything here moves fast, from the trains to the crowds to the lights covering nearly every street corner, and today gave us a chance to experience several completely different sides of the city all in one day.

The morning started with a tour of MUFG Stadium. It was cool to get an inside look at one of the Olympic sports venues here and learn more about how events and operations are handled in Japan. Even though the stadium itself was impressive, one of the more interesting parts was noticing the attention to detail throughout the facility. Everything was so deeply connected to the roots of the country, like using wood from all provinces to make the roof. Walking through the seating areas and VIP sections of the venue also gave a clearer sense of how passionate Japanese sports culture really is, even if it sometimes feels quieter or more reserved than American sports environments.

After the tour, we finally had some free time, which was a nice break after several packed schedule days. A group of us headed to Shinjuku for lunch and decided on revolving sushi, which felt like a must-do experience while in Japan. The restaurant was honestly one of the coolest dining setups I have ever seen. Everything felt fast-paced but still relaxed at the same time. It also ended up being one of the better meals of the trip so far, especially getting to try different types of sushi without committing to one giant order.

From there, we spent the afternoon wandering around Shibuya. The area somehow feels exactly like what people picture when they think of Tokyo. Massive digital billboards, crowded intersections, endless shopping stores, arcades, and people everywhere made the entire district feel alive. Crossing through the famous Shibuya crossing was surreal because it is one of those places you have seen countless times online or in movies, but experiencing it in person is completely different. We spent most of the afternoon shopping, exploring side streets, and just taking in how massive the city feels.

To finish the night, we headed over to Asakusa for dinner. Compared to the modern energy of Shibuya, Asakusa had a much calmer and more traditional atmosphere. The streets were quieter, and the area around the restaurants felt more historic. It was a really nice contrast to the rest of the day and, honestly, a perfect way to wrap things up. Sitting down for dinner there after spending the day navigating some of the busiest parts of Tokyo gave us a chance to slow down a little and reflect on everything we had already seen in just one day here.

Today really felt like a full immersion into Tokyo life. From sports venues to sushi restaurants to crowded shopping districts to traditional neighborhoods, every part of the city had its own completely different personality. Even after only two full days in Japan, it is easy to understand why Tokyo is considered one of the most unique cities in the world.

Jack Farkas - 5/24 Blog

  

For the second straight day, we had a later start than usual. On Sunday, we were able to take the coaches bus to the area for the day's activity.  When I got off the bus the first thing the area reminded me of was NBA 2K, as in the park. There were plenty of basketball courts, that were extremely colorful and full of designs, and near the courts was an arena and a shopping area.  We headed to lunch and had a very similar lunch to the previous meals we had in China, which consisted of duck, lamb, and more. However, this lunch was more focused on the dumplings. After lunch we were given some time to walk around the complex before the start of the basketball games. A group of us went to the Nike store that was nearby and looked through it. The store had some interesting clothes, including a cool LeBron shirt, but nothing that I would end up buying. Once I left the Nike store, I got a smoothie and headed over to the arena. 

 

Once we got to the arena, I found my seat and watched the pregame for the girl's national championship, which was around half-court. My seat had a light up glow stick, that the staff controlled the color of, and came with blow up thundersticks, which you used to clap. The pregame was extremely entertaining, and seemed thoroughly planned out, as it gave us some insight into the team, while also trying to hype the crowd up. The game was extremely close at half time, being very back and forth the whole time. At half time, Dalton and I got up to go look around the arena. We walked around pretty much the entirety arena and found a merchandise shop for the teams that were playing. I ended up getting an Eagles jersey, while Dalton got a Dragon jersey for the other team in the men’s national championship. When we got back, the score had become lopsided, and the game was pretty much over by the end of the third quarter. After which, we met up with a representative of Nike and asked some questions about running the event, and the history of the two teams playing, which informed me that the Eagles had beaten the Dragons a couple of years ago, but there were plenty of Dragons fans present as they were from Beijing. 

During the warm-ups for the game, the Dragons looked considerably taller and had a massive advantage, however the Eagles had a player who couldn’t miss from three, I nicknamed him Kobe, because of his Kobe Grinch shoes that he had on. In the excellent pregame show, they displayed that Kobe averaged over 20 points per game, considerably more than anyone else on either team. The game started out even, as therewas a rule in the first half where the full five on the court would come out at a time. Kobe ran the entire offense and couldn’t miss it. When he was on the court, they'd be winning, and when he was off, he would have to come back next time he was on. Still at half, the eagles led by around 6 points. Kobe played the entire third quarter, and the Eagles started to run away with it as his teammates started to get hot, and he ended the quarter with around 25. However, in the fourth quarter another team started to face guard and double Kobe, which was effective. The dragons forced a late comeback and ended up winning. Heartbroken, I walked around for a little bit, got some food at a nearby restaurant, and then headed back to the hotel with a group of us. 

    

5/27 Joshua Cherniss

 We started the day out like all the others, as some of us woke up at a good time to go get some breakfast, while others got every minute of sleep possible. I chose to get up and make sure to get some food in me, as I don’t function very well when I don’t eat something in the morning. Our first stop of the day was at MLB Asia, as they invited us to their office and gave us a presentation about how the MLB is capitalizing on the popularity of baseball in Eastern Asia. Mostly the regions of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. All of these markets present different challenges to be able to get the fans hooked onto the product of not only MLB baseball but also their local leagues, for example, in South Korea, they have the KBO. They directly compete with MLB in terms of local fandom and viewership. During our time at MLB Asia, we also learned about how the Japanese Media rights deals to be able to broadcast the games are anything but linear, as there are different rights holders for different teams, similar to what we see in the MLB and College Athletics. Major streaming providers such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and DAZN all own the rights to different Japanese baseball teams. While other teams' broadcasting rights are owned by more local stations. One of the other main points of the trip to MLB Asia was how star power drove everything, especially in Japan. Players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki drive fandom for the Dodgers in Japan on a large scale. Similar to teams like the Cubs, who have Seya Suzuki. Compare that to a country like South Korea, where baseball fandom is more driven by trends, not local stars in the MLB. 

After that, we went to lunch as a group at a nice Hibachi place in a mall near the MLB Asia office, as we got a surprise meeting scheduled with the PGA Japan office. We were able to pick their brain on how they leverage their local and signature tournaments to drive fandom all across Asia, not just Japan. The biggest tournament that takes place in Japan is called the BayCurrent Classic. That event drives a lot of the fandom for Golf around Asia, as that is the only Major event to take place in all of Asia. 

To end off the day, we went to the Tokyo Dome to take in some Japanese baseball in a game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Fukuoka Hawks. The Yomiyuri giants, which were the home team, won thrillingly in a 5-1 game. This was Professor Kim and my friend Zach Siegel's first win as a group in our two years traveling on either the Olympic Odyssey trip or this one. I had a great time at the baseball game and being able to experience everything that comes with going on a Maymester trip like this. 

5/20 Viktor Allen

First stop was the Forbidden City, with our tour guide Ally walking us through the complex. For nearly 500 years this was the imperial palace of China, home to 24 emperors across the Ming and Qing dynasties, and completely off limits to ordinary people. The scale of it does not register until you are actually inside. You move through it in a kind of progression, one courtyard opening into the next, each hall built for a different ceremonial purpose. The yellow glazed roof tiles and red walls carry through the entire complex, and no matter how far in you get it never starts to feel small.

One of the highlights was walking through the Imperial Garden toward the back of the complex. It was a nice change of pace from the open courtyards, a lot more tucked away with old trees, decorative rockery, and pavilions scattered throughout. After spending hours walking through massive open spaces it felt like a completely different side of the place. We spent a few hours total just exploring, and at some point stopped to grab mango popsicles since it was pretty hot out. We had originally planned to visit Tiananmen Square before, but Putin was in Beijing that day for a state visit so the whole area was shut down, which was not something I expected to hear.

After the Forbidden City we had a family style lunch with the whole group, sharing a bunch of different dishes. Every time one plate got close to empty another one showed up. The food was genuinely great and easily one of the better meals of the trip so far.

The whole place reads like a really beautiful park at first glance but the more you walk around the more history starts to layer on top of it. We ended the visit with a boat ride back across the lake, which gave us a completely different view of the whole complex and was a solid way to close out the afternoon.

We took a taxi back to the hotel and from there a group of us found a basketball court nearby. We ran a few games of 3v3 and everyone was playing pretty well. Grabbed dinner close by after and called it a night.