Family with Tigers DayMaking families part of Koshien ‘team’

Hanshin Koshien Stadium,* located between the cities of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, and Osaka, holds a special place in the world of Japanese baseball. Built in 1924, the stadium is home to the Hanshin Tigers professional baseball team and also hosts a wildly popular national high school baseball tournament each spring and summer. It is also one of four stadiums in the world where Babe Ruth played (as part of an exhibition tour of Japan by a U.S. all-star team in 1934) that is still being used as the home field for a professional baseball team. The stadium has such an iconic status that when a team is eliminated from the high school tournaments, the players scoop up a handful of dirt from the infield to take home as a souvenir.

On June 9, a group of 25 children and parents and staff of Agri Station Tamba Sasayama, which operates as part of The Nippon Foundation’s Children’s 3rd Place program in the city of Tamba Sasayama in Hyogo Prefecture, visited Koshien Stadum for a Family with Tigers day hosted by the Hanshin Tigers. The Children’s 3rd Place program provides children from elementary school through high school with a place to spend time after school, interacting with volunteer staff to learn skills that will allow them to become independent in the future, including the ability to interact with other people and society, study habits, and daily living habits.

The day’s events began with the group being allowed to watch the team practice before the stadium opened to the general public. After watching practice, the group had an opportunity to meet a team member in person. They did not know in advance who they would be meeting, which added to the sense of anticipation and excitement. After a few minutes, they were joined by Tigers pitcher Junya Nishi, sometimes referred to as the “Tigers’ next ace pitcher.” The children handed him a large poster that they had prepared, which said, “Everyone from Hanshin, thank you for always giving us dreams. Good luck and keep trying hard!” Mr. Nishi replied, “Thank you, we will!” as he autographed the children’s jerseys and caps.

Koshien Stadium’s history, then on to the game

The group then visited the Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium, which is adjacent to the stadium. The children enjoyed looking at the displays depicting the stadium’s 100 years of history. After touring the museum, the group returned to the stadium to watch the Tigers play against the Saitama Seibu Lions. Despite a slight rain, the group cheered on the Tigers, surrounded by enthusiastic Tigers fans, as the Tigers went on to win the game 3–0.

Making Koshien everyone’s home stadium

The first Family with Tigers event was held in 2022, with the idea of using Tigers games to bring joy to the daily lives of the children who represent the future. There are six Family with Tigers days each season, with a group of 25 children and parents invited each time. In addition to hosting a group of families, the players and coaches wear special uniforms on the day of the game, and afterward sign the uniforms and donate them to a charity auction. The proceeds of the auction (after the deduction of certain expenses) are then donated to organizations engaged in activities to support children. In addition to hosting a group from a Children’s Third Place, in 2024 the program also donated 5,955,069 yen to The Nippon Foundation Kids Support Fund.

Shota Nishimura of the Hanshin Tigers organization is in charge of the Family with Tigers program. He says that the main objective of hosting the events is to have people come to the stadium and become part of the Hanshin Tigers team, noting that Koshien Stadium holds a special kind of power, and that everyone who steps foot into the stadium becomes a member of the same team, regardless of what they do in their daily lives. He hopes that children who may find it difficult to attend school for various reasons, as well as children who have never been to a professional baseball game, will come to the stadium and feel like they are part of the team. Knowing that the children are cheering for them also increases the players’ motivation and boosts their morale.

Strengthening family ties by cheering together

Mr. Nishimura also points out that the program aims to have children come with their parents or guardians, because cheering together creates memories that will make their family ties even stronger. Four more Family with Tigers days are scheduled before this year’s season ends in September, with plans for a group from another Children’s 3rd Place to attend once more. The Tigers organization is also planning other events for parents and children, and Mr. Nishimura hopes that many people will enjoy visiting Koshien Stadium.