The result was a home run.
Irwin Wong
When it comes to sports, Ive always considered myself a good date.
In college, I toured the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a guy I was seeing.
Yokohama Stadium.Credit:Irwin Wong
I kept on being an amiable companion when I met my husband, attending his alma maters big games.
(This was also a form of primal screaming, and much cheaper than therapy.)
Cut to last summer.
From left: A Yomiuri Giants fan leads cheers in the stands; cheerleaders for the Giants.Irwin Wong
Isaac was 24, and I was still a besotted mother.
My son and I shared a dream of going to Japan.
(Theyre kind of the Mets of Japan.)
DB. Starman, the hamster mascot for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, with a troupe of cheerleaders.Irwin Wong
Our guide, Tatsuya Ohno, worked in theYomiuri Shimbunnewspapers baseball promotion department.
The boys were in shorts.
The air-conditioned Dome, which is shaped like a giant egg, has a capacity of about 43,500 people.
From left: Traditional dishes of the Indigenous Ainu people at Harukor; Trunk (Hotel), a property in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood.Irwin Wong
Then a player walked past us and through the open doors onto the field.
My sons not talking down to me, I told myself.
Hes just being sensitive to my lack of knowledge.
From left: Female beer vendors, or uriko, at the Tokyo Dome; baseball memorabilia at the Tokyo Dome.Irwin Wong
The way I used to talk to him.
Oh my God, Waz said.
I feel like Im in a dream!
From left: The Sushi Hōseki restaurant at the Bulgari Hotel; aji, or horse mackerel, at the restaurant.Irwin Wong
We went out onto the field.
Practice was starting up.
At four oclock we took our seats, even though the game wouldnt start for another two hours.
Bar High Five, in the Ginza.Irwin Wong
Everyone does that, Waz said.
They pick their favorite players.
While they were eating I drank a couple of beers (some things never change).
BayStar fans at Yokohama Stadium.Irwin Wong
Tomoyuki Sugano pitched for the Giants.
Isaac had always wanted to see him play, so he was ecstatic.
For Waz, this seemed to be a point of pride.
From left: Shugo Maki of Japan’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars at bat in his home stadium; balls printed with the the Yomiuri Giants' logo.Irwin Wong
Sugano lived up to the hype, throwing seven shutout innings, absolutely dominating the BayStars.
We by now Isaac and I considered ourselves part of the collective we beat them 6-0.
(Thats Japan!)
The Yomiuri Giants at batting practice.Irwin Wong
Exhilarated, exhausted, and hoarse, we made our way back to our hotel.
Now that we had seen some baseball, we were ready for culture.
The next day we hired a guide named RamKy.
Bats lined up for practice at the Tokyo Dome.Irwin Wong
RamKy was raised in Kerala, India, and is studying business at Hitotsubashi University.
He delivered on what he promised.
We visited Senso-ji, in Asakusa.
From left: Giants outfielder Lewis Brinson at batting practice; fans watch the Giants practice.Irwin Wong
Completed in the year 645, its the oldest Buddhist temple complex in Tokyo, and the most famous.
There are two gates leading to this colorful and head-spinningly beautiful place.
We walked under three giant paper lanterns to the temple itself.
From left: The Tokyo Dome at nightfall; a street in Tokyo’s Asakusa district.Irwin Wong
We rinsed our hands and mouths with water from a fountain and inhaled incense before bowing at the altar.
He also invited us home for tea.
Via RamKy we politely demurred there were so many more sights to see!
Isaac and I both enjoyed the narrative paintings, which reminded us of graphic novels.
Still, this was definitely mom time.
Talk about forest bathing!
It soothed my soul when I got cranky in the heat, which was beastly.
I thought it was the best thing I had ever eaten, but we had only just begun.
Fingerbowls or hand towels?
But when the talented chef de cuisine, Takuro Shimizu, bowed to us, we bowed back.
Saki Matsumoto was our server and interpreter.
I thought it was the best thing I had ever eaten, but we had only just begun.
We hadnishin herring cut to look like a silvery piece of Art Deco jewelry.
Even the squid melted in our mouths.
When we finally left, we were reduced to silence by the pleasure and purity of the experience.
The Ainu are the Indigenous people of northern Japan.
On the night we visited, the atmosphere was cozy.
The walls were covered with Ainu art, and Ainu music was on the stereo.
Another memorable evening came thanks to the hotel OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka, part of the Japanese group Hoshino Resorts.
When we left, our host gave Isaac a Yomiuri Giants bag to take home with him.
Which brings us back to baseball.
We were greeted by our official BayStars tour guides, Shinya Aoki and Reika Ushara.
This time we were less jet-lagged and more at ease.
Empty, they reminded us of the eponymous bay, which was close by.
Both players spoke about the pride they felt representing their country and bringing the title home.
Once the game started, the audience revved up.
Female cheerleaders ran around the stadium.
I dont know how they stayed so animated and cheerful.
The game came down to a final out.
I expected tears and curses, but instead the night took an unexpectedly magical turn.
It was one of three Blue Light Series concerts at Yokohama Stadium, an after-the-game musical festivity.
The concert was projected on the scoreboard, with some of the lyrics written in English.
Everyone sang along, even us.
Their finale was a song called Suirenka.
Wo, wo, wo!
For baseball fans, the hotel is within walking distance of the Tokyo Dome.
OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka by Hoshino Resorts
OMO5provides a warm, authentic experience in a quiet neighborhood.
A team of OMO Rangers offers cultural and culinary tours of the area.
A bonus: you’re free to do your own laundry.
The Peninsula Tokyo
The Peninsula Tokyois an urban oasis in a 24-floor tower overlooking the Imperial Gardens.
The sole Japanese outpost of the opulent chain has what might be the worlds most gorgeous pool.
Onigiri Bongo
The specialty atOnigiri Bongois rice balls wrapped in seaweed.
Isaacs were stuffed with jellyfish and plum, mine with mustard greens and salmon flakes.
Well worth the long wait to get in.
Sushi Hoseki
The name of thiseight-seat omakase in the Bulgari Hotelmeans gemstone.
What to Do
Mitsukoshi Ginza
This is ahigh-end department storewith an amazing food hall.
Look for tea, rice, incredible pastries, and square watermelons.
Dont miss the lovely gardens.
RamKy
Ramesh Krishnanis smart, knowledgeable, and highly entertaining a fantastic and fascinating guide.