The fan appreciation festival of the Rakuten Eagles, held on November 23rd, saw an unprecedented turnout of 24,854 people!This attendance figure tells the tale of a memorable season, marked by the first victory in the Nippon Life Interleague Games and the 20th anniversary of the team's establishment.In the relaxed atmosphere unique to the off-season, fans and players interacted and mutually celebrated the tumultuous year.The eagles who transformed this unity into strength will undoubtedly fly higher next year.

The theme of this year’s “Fan Appreciation Festival” is “Golden Eagle Coming of Age Ceremony ~ Thanks to 20 Eagle Years ~”.In addition to expressing gratitude for the daily cheers, it was a day to celebrate a milestone with fans who have walked together for 20 years.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary, we have events that are not usually held.One of them is the “righteousness of scattered rice cakes”, which is said to embody the meanings of “sharing good fortune” and “expressing gratitude for the care received”.At the same time, rice cakes with the word “celebration” inscribed on them were scattered at multiple locations by the athletes.

On the main stage, Ambassador Ginji Akaminai, Masahiro Tanaka,  Takahiro Norimoto, and Hideto Asamura made an appearance, saying, “It’s cold, but please enjoy it with all your might!”,said  Norimoto.After everyone expressed their greetings and words of gratitude, the rice cakes throwing started.As expected of professional baseball players, a lot of rice cakes reached even the distant fans.The children gathered right in front of the stage for easy access, and some even received handouts directly from the athletes.”I got it from Asamura!”The children excitedly shared their stories with bright smiles on their faces, which made everyone watching feel warm and fuzzy.It turned into a time filled with smiles for both the players and the fans.

 Norimoto greets with the “righteousness of scattered rice cakes”.

The front row is occupied by children!

The grounds that are usually off-limits were opened up on this day, and under the clear sky, many people were seen walking freely, taking pictures, and enjoying themselves in various ways.Additionally, there were scenes where fans selected through a lottery and players deepened their interaction through a game of catch.Children throwing with all their might and women who return the ball while enjoying conversation, it must have been an experience unique to this day.This season, many players, including rookie Tatsuki Koja who clinched five victories, enjoyed a special time.

Player Kei Mizukami enjoying a game of catch with fans.

Koja, the player who gently throws the ball back to the children.

At the specially set-up stage on the stand, a talk show between the players was held, where unheard real opinions were also thrown out, creating an atmosphere filled with laughter and surprises.The talk, featuring Hiroaki Shimauchi, Wataru Karashima, and Ambassador Ginji Akaminai, left a strong impression.The closeness between the players, who have been with the team for nearly 10 years since their rookie years, was palpable.Of course, being a familiar figure to the fans, many people gathered, and in a relaxed atmosphere, they listened to the conversation of the three.

The person who talked about the training attitude of players such as Shimauchi and Karashima was Ginji Akaminai, who was a team member until last season.In the process of mutually refining each other, it is said that they were inspired by the attitude of facing ‘Baseball’ and the amount of practice at the top level.Spontaneous applause erupted, reaching the two as a cheer.In addition to autograph sessions and photo shoots, they were fostering relationships through numerous events such as “Conversations with players around the Kotatsu”.

The talk show featuring players Shimauchi and Karashima, along with Ambassador Ginji Akaminai was a great success.

Furthermore, this year’s attendees were presented with a “Golden Eagle Coming of Age Ceremony Commemorative Certificate” as a gift.When opened, it features photos of athletes in traditional Japanese attire, including a space where you can freely write.There were many fans seen getting autographs there, engraving the memories of the special fan appreciation event in the memorial year into their mementos.

This year’s fan appreciation festival attracted a record-breaking 24,854 people since the team’s establishment, and the team representative Kazuki Tanaka said with a smile, “We were very happy to be able to interact directly with all the fans. “This season ended with a frustrating result of finishing fourth, but the team’s first Interleague victory added a touch of glamour to the 20th anniversary year, and in the end, a fierce battle for the A-Class was waged.Of course, it was the presence of the fans that pushed the players forward.It seems to have been a precious time when they were able to directly convey their feelings of gratitude.

Koja, who looked back after finishing his first fan appreciation festival, said “It became a good memory, and it was very enjoyable.””It is because of our fans that we exist. Usually, I don’t have much time to interact with a smile, so I think I want to cherish my fans and do my best while deepening interactions by directly connecting with them once a year like this. I am determined to perform better in the second season than the first, and I hope to interact with everyone again at the fan appreciation festival in good spirits.”

Koja (left) and Haruto Sakai  (right) made an appearance on the “Athlete Surprise Stage”.

 Yuto Egawa high-fiving with fans.

Naoki Hinata  (left) and Taisei Tsurusaki (right) take on the “12 Second Stop Challenge”.

It is precisely because they have these moments filled with smiles that the athletes can keep going for another year.The abundance of cheers has invigorated the players for the next season, which was evident from their expressions.

In the end, Kazuki Tanaka declared to his fans.

“The team will start the new season under a new system.We aim for the league championship and to be the best in Japan, and our players and the entire team will fight together towards this goal. However, to achieve this, we kindly ask for your continued, fervent, and passionate support in the coming season.Let’s work together as one Tohoku region to make sure we can rename this fan appreciation festival to a victory celebration for the next season!”

With gratitude, the special 20th anniversary fan appreciation festival has come to a close.I look forward to celebrating this day next year as a victory report meeting.

TEXT: Chiharu Abe
PHOTO: Naoya Arai
EDIT: Yohsuke Watanabe, Shiori Saeki (IN FOCUS)