A fan for 32 years. Editor Yohei Kumagai talks about the appeal of the strong and weak Swallows.

The Swallows that captivated a 6-year-old boy

Celeina (MC): Mr. Kumagai, you usually work for magazines as an editor, right?

Kumagai: Yes, I do.

Celeina: Do you still go to Jingu Stadium?

Kumagai: Yes, I do. My company is located near Jingu Stadium, so even if I cannot make it in time for the game to start at 6:00 p.m., I start watching the game late after I finish work. It’s not an extreme workday, but it’s a place that makes my evenings after work more fulfilling.

Takano (MC): I like that distance. How many times have you been there this year?

Kumagai: A little less this year, about seven times. For me, it’s a bit of a disappointment, but I would like to go a little more.

Celeina: How many times do you go to see a show in a year?

Kumagai: There are 144 matches in a year, and about half of them are home matches. I would say about a fraction of that.

Takano: I have always liked Yakult, and the location makes it easy for me to go.

Celeina: Maybe that’s also why you chose to work there?

Kumagai: Not really (laughs). (laughs) I’m just happy that it’s accessible from my workplace.

Celeina: It makes me happy. I mean it’s just a coincidence.

Takano: Your profile says that you have been a Yakult fan since you were six years old.

Kumagai: Do you know manager Katsuya Nomura?　He was a famous manager who was called Mr. Nomu.

Takano: Yes.

Kumagai: I have been a fan of Nomu-san since he was a manager. It was back in 1992, when I came home after kindergarten at around 2:00 p.m. and turned on the TV, the Japan Series was being held as a day game, and the Yakult team, whose team color was blue, was strong. Also, it was a more interesting time than now when professional baseball players appeared on variety shows. For example, the current manager, Shingo Takatsu, sang Crystal King’s famous song “Daitokai” while wearing an Afro wig. The team was strong, the players were funny, and the team color was blue.

Takano: So the personalities and characters of the players and the coach were also the entry point?

Kumagai: That’s right. The team has been very attractive to me because they are friendly, funny, cheerful, and energizing to watch.

Takano: Kumagai-san, you are from Akita, aren’t you? When was your first time at Jingu Stadium?

Kumagai: I don’t remember exactly, but I think it was right after I entered elementary school. We came to Tokyo for a family vacation in the summer, and the plan was to go to Jingu Stadium every night to see a baseball game, which was about 4 days and 3 nights.

Celeina: Did your parents assist you in becoming a Yakult fan?

Kumagai: I didn’t have any gifted education. My father and brother both supported other teams, so my parents didn’t make me become a Yakult fan, but I started supporting the Yakult team voluntarily. Looking back on it now, it’s a little strange.

Celeina: So, did your family all become Yakult fans because of your message?

Kumagai: Not really. My mother was neutral in that she did not have a favorite team, so she kept me company, and my brother is a Giants fan, but he kept me company.

Takano: They are a good family.

We live together, supporting each other.

Celeina: You are here today in a Yakult Swallows uniform. Whose uniform is this?

Kumagai: This is the uniform of Shiomi, the proud No. 1 hitter of the Yakult team. It is an original uniform that was released to commemorate Shiomi’s cycle hit.

Takano: Is it quite rare?

Kumagai: Yes, it is.

Takano: It has Shiomi’s embroidery on the back.

Kumagai: There was also a print of the funny Shiomi.

Takano: It has a luxurious feel.

Kumagai: Yes, it does. The badge is also nice.

Celeina: It’s wonderful. You also brought a variety of other cheering goods.

Kumagai: Yes. Umbrellas are indispensable (as standard cheering goods for fans). Nowadays, there are many variations of umbrellas, and this one is helmet-shaped when opened.

Takano: Cute!

Celeina: Is this the current version?

Kumagai: This is a commemorative umbrella for the 2021 championship, so it is a limited edition. The size of this (smaller than a regular umbrella) is important. Even when I don’t plan to go to a baseball game, I sometimes carry it in my backpack to work and go directly to the game.

Celeina: So you always have these items on hand.

Kumagai: Yalult fans always have their uniforms and umbrellas in their backpacks.

Celeina: We have to carry this umbrella, too. What about these goods?

Kumagai: This is a megaphone with Tsubakuro (the team mascot) and the team colors on it. There are various designs, but my son likes Tsubakuro. It is also small enough to fit in a compact backpack.

Takano: May I ask you to play a sound?

(tapping sound of megaphone)

Takano: That’s nice!

Kumagai: It feels like a baseball field.

Takano: Everyone had one when I was there last Wednesday. I would like to hear a little more about the appeal of Swallows.

Kumagai: The charm of the Swallows is that they are strong and weak.

Takano: Strong and weak?

Kumagai: I have been a fan for 32 years this year, and when I first started watching them, they were an all-time winning team. After that, there were quite a few ups and downs. There have been strong times and weak times, and as I look back over my life, I feel like I am living with the team as I cheer them on, and I think, “There are times in life like that. I feel like I’m living with them while cheering them on, and I think, “There are times in life when you have to live with them.

Takano: That’s wonderful. I would also like to know the way of looking at the games to make them more interesting.

Celeina: I want to know.

Kumagai: I would like to tell you a little about the appeal of Jingu Stadium.

Takano: Please do.

Kumagai: There is a path that leads from the outfield to the stands, and when you enter the stands, there is a moment when your field of vision opens up. Jingu Stadium is an outdoor stadium, so at that moment, the view of the ground and Tokyo opens up. Especially at this time of year, when the sunset is beautiful, I think even people who don’t know anything about baseball will think it’s amazing.

Takano: Like being able to see the sky change colors in a timely manner, or seeing the buildings in the back.

Kumagai: Yes. The location is great.

Takano: Are there any players you want people to know about?

Kumagai: That would be Yasutaka Shiomi, the player I am wearing the uniform for right now. He is the No. 1 hitter for the Yakult baseball team, and his entrance music is a fanfare for the G1 horse race (only when he is the first batter in the lineup).

(Fanfare plays)

Celeina: This is it.

Kumagai: Of course horse racing fans, but even if you are not a fan of horse racing, when this song is played, it gets you fired up and you think, “The game is about to start! I get into the spirit of “The game is about to start!

Celeina: When this fanfare started playing, you seemed to smile (laughs).

Kumagai: I couldn’t help but react (laughs).

Takano: Yakult fans who are listening to this song may be saying, “Here it comes! Kumagai：Yakult fans who are listening to the song may be saying, “Here it comes!

Kumagai: I think you will understand.

Takano: Are there others?

Kumagai: Masaki Ishikawa. I am from Akita, so we are from the same hometown. He is a veteran pitcher, 43 years old this year, and has been a long-time supporter of the Yakult baseball team. Also, he is 15 wins away from 200 wins, a record only 24 pitchers have achieved in the past (as of September 21), so I am rooting for him to continue his career for as long as possible.

Takano: 15 more wins. That’s remarkable. I would like to hear more, but here is one song. I asked Mr. Kumagai to choose a song he would like everyone to listen to together on the radio at this time. What song would it be?

Kumagai: Yes. It’s “Till I Know Love” by Aimyon, the song in which Munetaka Murakami, Yakult’s leading hitter, plays in his fourth at-bat.

Interview with Ryota Igarashi, who expressed his feelings

Celeina: Mr. Kumagai, I heard that you once interviewed Ryota Igarashi, an alumnus of the Yakult Swallows who will appear on this program tomorrow.

Kumagai: I was very impressed with the interview, and I was sharing my thoughts and feelings with him. I brought clippings from old newspapers and magazines that had featured Mr. Igarashi, and Mr. Igarashi told me how much he missed him, and even had his picture taken.

Takano: When you see your favorite player from long ago in front of you, even though it is your job, you get a thrill …….

Kumagai: I usually don’t get nervous during interviews, but I was extremely nervous. I spent a lot of time preparing for the interview.

Takano: That must have been very passionate. We are also meeting Mr. Igarashi tomorrow. Is there any trivia we should know about him?

Kumagai: Mr. Igarashi is known as the “Kim Taku” of the baseball world, and he is a handsome player. He is known for his fastball, and it is said that the reason for his fastball is his lower body, which he trained while skiing as a child. I heard that you were born in Hokkaido and that you were involved in skiing at that time.

Takano: So the environment had an influence. It is interesting that skiing and baseball are connected. Are you prepared for our meeting tomorrow?

Kumagai: Mr. Igarashi appeared on TV a lot as a commentator for this year’s WBC, and he is an expert not only on Yakult, but also on professional baseball, Major League Baseball, and baseball in general. I think it will make the program more interesting.

Takano: We’d like to learn from him as well.

Celeina: Thank you very much.

Takano: Lastly, I heard that you have a favorite way of watching a game.

Kumagai: Yakult has a cheering style where they wave umbrellas with the “Tokyo Ondo” when a point is scored, and they also wave these umbrellas at the lucky seven in the bottom of the 7th inning. I personally think that there are many games that get more exciting towards the end of the 7th inning. For example, even if you are losing, you can enjoy the game by getting back into the game in the bottom of the 7th inning by swinging your umbrella and trying to turn the game around, or if you are winning, you can enjoy the game by getting back into the game and scoring more runs. Also, in July and August, there will be fireworks after the bottom of the 5th inning.

Celeina: We saw them too.

Kumagai: Fireworks, beer, and Tokyo Ondo. I think these are the three sacred treasures of summer, and I hope you will experience them at Jingu Stadium.

Celeina: Thank you very much. This week on “FIST BUMP,” we have a Yakult fan who has been a fan of the Yakult Swallows since he was six years old, and today we welcome Yohei Kumagai, an editor who has been a fan of the Swallows since he was six years old. Thank you very much.

Kumagai: Thank you very much.