A few days after the calendar flips into the new year, the Tokyo Dome comes back to life. At the traditional home of the Yomiuri Giants (Japan’s version of the New York Yankees), the ballpark welcomes a game of a different kind.
While the Tokyo Dome is primarily known for hosting baseball, it hosted the Rice Bowl on Jan. 3, the championship for Japan’s football league, also known as the X-League.Kai Dambach/The World
The lines for the baseball diamond are gone, as are the bases. A field goal stands upright where home plate normally would, another in center field.
Japan has become home to one of the top football leagues outside of North America, and its championship game is known as the Rice Bowl.
Panasonic Impulse defensive back Joshua Cox walks through the smoke before taking part in the Rice Bowl.Kai Dambach/The World
On this day, the Panasonic Impulse and Fujitsu Frontiers went at it during the championship of the X-League for the fourth straight year.
The hard hitting American football game has the same rules in Japan. A touchdown is 6 points. Cheerleaders will you to victory and the halftime show takes place in the middle of the field.
Fujitsu Frontiers cheerleaders support their team in the Rice Bowl.Kai Dambach/The World
While the majority of the players are Japanese, each team in the league is allowed up to four American players. So, for those who couldn’t quite make it to the NFL or the Canadian Football League, this has become the perfect option.
Panasonic Impulse defensive end Jaboree Williams returns an interception for the game-winning touchdown in the Rice Bowl.Kai Dambach/The World
Take Jaboree Williams, for example. Williams was a standout linebacker at Wake Forest who was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, but just couldn’t make it happen at the biggest stage. When he felt his playing days were at an end, he managed to find his way to the Impulse on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
“I’ve been living my life. I love Japan. I love my teammates. I love everyone. Japan is so peaceful,” Williams said.
His teammate and fellow American, defensive back Joshua Cox, agreed, and said he has felt welcomed since day one. His teammates always ask him about football in the US.
“They’re very open-minded. Like, I could teach a lot of technique stuff that I’ve learned in America that they might not get over here. And they don’t hesitate to ask me,” said Cox, who played college football at Central Michigan University.
But what’s rather odd is that even though the level of play has shot up in recent years, attendance has fallen off. Before COVID-19, the league championship game would typically draw about 25,000 people. This year, not even 20,000 showed up.
“Off the field, the problem is because it’s not a professional sport, most of the people running it are also part-time amateurs,” said John Gunning, a longtime sports reporter in Japan. “All of them are former players, as well. So, you have the issue of people who don’t have very solid business plans. And it being Japan, you need consensus for everything.”
That lack of professionalism keeps most games off the TV and makes it hard to find the necessary live coverage. But that certainly does not change the passion that the players have for the game.
“The culture of American football had spread into Japan since 1934,” former X-League linebacker Hideyuki Hata said. “It’s been well taken care of from a niche area, but it’s been really valued throughout history. So, there’s a uniqueness of the style, how it’s approached, but the passion is the same.”
Panasonic Impulse players bring home the hardware after winning the Rice Bowl.Kai Dambach/The World
Back at the championship, it was a tight contest. With less than five minutes to go, the Impulse were up by a touchdown, but the Frontiers had the ball. Instead of trying to go after the quarterback, Williams dropped back, anticipating a pass. It came his way and he plucked it out of the air. The giant, who didn’t know if he would ever play football again just a couple of years ago, had the game in his hands.
As he ran to victory, he pointed to his loyal fans, as they cheered just behind a Hello Kitty advertisement.
A player for the Fujitsu Warriors addresses the fans after losing in the Rice Bowl to the Panasonic Impulse.Kai Dambach/The World
Tears flowed from the players, cheerleaders, coaches and fans after the game. Joy for the Impulse, and sadness for the Frontiers. The players addressed their fans and the coaches gave one last speech to their men.
And, according to Williams, there’s only one thing left to do when you beat your arch-nemesis in the championship game for the first time in four years.
“I’m gonna get drunk as hell!” he beamed.