The 83rd Intercity Baseball Tournament is in the thick of fierce competition. Running for 12 days from July 13, it is being held at Tokyo Dome. The Mainichi Newspapers is, of course, the organizer. A bracket is posted on the wall beside the east entrance on the first floor of Palaceside Building, with game results updated in real time.
The tournament features high-level baseball, and fans are packing the dome. Last year, affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was held for the first time in the Kansai region at Kyocera Dome Osaka in October. This year it returns to Tokyo Dome, with 32 teams battling fiercely. Total attendance is expected to reach about 500,000.
Baseball is exciting, but another highlight is the cheering competition. Manufacturing teams often have cheerleaders in work clothes and yellow helmets, showing corporate character. There are also awards for cheering. Based on first-round games, a "first-half prize" goes to 16 teams from the first eight games and a "second-half prize" to 16 from the next eight. An overall "period prize" covers the entire tournament.
Criteria include contribution to team effort, richness of local specialties, leader discipline and manners, and creative ideas. The first round ended yesterday; the second round starts today, with the final on the 24th. In the heat of summer, enjoy hot battles — on the field and in the stands — in cool Tokyo Dome.