VIDEO: Take me out to the ballgame at Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Stadium

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

In Japan, one of the favorite summer pastimes is heading to the ballpark for a fun game of Nippon Professional Baseball.

The stadiums around the country offer an atmosphere unlike any other with custom cheers for the team and its players, delicious food, drinks and culture.

After you’ve grabbed your snacks like karaage fried chicken or gyoza, take your seat and flag down a “beer girl” for a frosty cup of your favorite Japanese brew. “Beer girls” are young women in colorful uniforms carrying backpacks with mini-beer kegs. They’re popular among the regular and even have their own following.

The Nippon League game season runs until November, so there’s still plenty of time to get to a stadium near you.

If you are in Hardy Barracks or the New Sanno Hotel, Meiji Jingu Stadium, home of the Yakult Swallows, is the nearest spot to catch a baseball game. Play ball!