Koshien, it’s actually not in Osaka

Posted on 09. Sep, 2007 @ 2:06 pm by in Culture, Osaka Views: 848

Correction time!

Javi from Motomachicake pointed that Koshien, the baseball stadium of the Hanshin Tigers, is not really in Osaka, but actually in Hyogo prefecture. Kobe is the major city in Hyogo, and Motomachi (where it seems Javi hails from) is in Kobe as well.

Well… (checks map) True. Koshien is in Hyogo.

But why would I make such a mistake? Aside from the fact that I have a terrible sense of direction (方向音痴),  I have another, more culturally interesting excuse.  So for now, forget all cartographical and geographical truths and let me indulge you for a bit.

The Hanshin Tigers. What is “Hanshin”?

The characters for Hanshin are 「阪神」which includes the “saka” character in Osaka 「大阪」and the “kou” character in Kobe 「神戸」. The Hanshin train line runs from Osaka to Kobe, and Koshien happens to be accessible from that line. So, the name Hanshin Tigers gives its love to both Osaka and Kobe residents!

Also, there are a lot of Hanshin Tigers fans in Osaka. There are also a lot of fans in Hyogo. Apparently, the Amagasaki area has an especially energetic bunch of Hanshin fans. My wife said those fans are almost a little bit 「危ない」, or “dangerous”, they’re so enthusiastic. Note, “dangerous” in Japanese doesn’t mean that they’re likely to harm you really… They’re just a little rowdy.

Another weak excuse for my misconception, is that after the Hanshin Tigers win it all, where do the fans go? They go to Doutonbori bridge in Osaka to celebrate!

[Not North Korea]

[Not Disneyland]

So, even though physically Koshien stadium is in Hyogo and actually not in Osaka, spiritually Hanshin Tigers love knows no boundaries! When the Hanshin Tigers win the pendant, let fans from Kobe and Osaka unite! They’ll ride the Hanshin train line from Koshien down to Doutonbori to celebrate as one!

Go Hanshin!!!  (wipes tear from  eye)

- Harvey

  • http://www.motomachicakeblog.com/ Javi

    Perfect explanation.
    I have also read that baseball teams in Japan are named after the company that owns them, and in the case of Tigers it is Hanshin Railway, the railroad company that built a line connecting Kobe and Osaka.
    Well, in fact I have never been to a Hanshin Tigers match, but many of my students do it and I have heard a lot about this team. I wish to be able to watch someday a “dento no issen”, the match of intense rivalry, between Tigers and Kyojin (Giants) to see if, like they told me, that match’s atmosphere is similar to a Spanish Betis-Sevilla!

  • http://slashandburn.typepad.com Adam

    Harvey先輩，漢字の質問がある．Why is the こう in Kobe 神? The onyomi is ”shin,” right? Is it just one of those things that make you go, hmm? Or is there an actual reason? 教えってくれてお願いします．

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Adam,

    Actually the same thought crossed my mind when I was writing the post! I had always known that Kobe was written 神戸、and that 神 is “kami” or “shin”… but then I was like… wait a minute… why is that pronounced Kobe!

    I looked around… and it seems there is a place in Okayama called… Kouka (神下). Sometimes, it is read “kan”, as in 神主 which is a Shinto priest!

    So… It just seems to be one of those things.

    There are so many crazy rare readings for Kanji that come up… It’s freaky. It never stops!

    Ganbarou~

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Hey Javi, I didn’t know that the game between Hanshin and Tokyo was called “dentou no issen”, that’s cool! 伝統の一戦。 Great. I would LOVE to go to that game at Koshien. It must be impossible to get tickets~~~

  • http://pixelscribbles.com/journal Heather Meadows

    In the anime Detective Conan, there’s a high school detective from Osaka who’s kind of a rival to the main character, and he loves to exhort the greatness of Osaka. One time he and his best friend/love interest invite the main cast to Osaka for some sightseeing, and they end up arguing over what would be the more Osakan thing to do: see a traditional form of theater, or go to the Koushien. I don’t think they ever mentioned that the stadium wasn’t in Osaka. Do you think Osaka claims ownership of the stadium despite its actual location? Or maybe the makers of the anime figured everyone knew where the stadium was already…;>

  • http://www.motomachicakeblog.com/ Javi

    Well, I have heard that the name of the city of Kobe derives from “Kanbe”, a name given to those who supported the Ikuta Shrine in the same city.
    In this city we have a park called “Meriken Park”, a derivation of “American Park”, so the only reason that I can imagine to explain the reading of that kanji (神) would be a phonetical derivation which would have its origin in those first foreigners who settled here.

    I will ask some people to get the right answer!

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