One of our biggest jobs as a Warrior Girl is to provide entertainment to the fans at all the home games. With practices three times a week, a lot of preparation goes into each time we perform at a game. I absolutely love the energy we get from the crowd each time we step onto the court. Being in Japan, it was our chance to show what we do best in another country. It was down to, “The Final Four” championships (BJ-League’s Playoffs) and the Warrior Girls were invited to be a part it all.
The first Japanese Professional Basketball League was inaugurated in November, 2005 with 6 teams. At the end of a 120-game season that year, Osaka Evessa became the very first BJ-League champions. Now, the BJ-League has expanded into 12 teams divided into two conferences; Eastern and Western, and each team plays a total of 52 games. What I like about the BJ-League playoffs is that "The Final 4" is held at one location. This eliminates the concept of “home court advantage.” But, all games are played in the same arena one after another by single-elimination format. Meaning, if a team loses once, there is no chance for the championship and after three in a row, Osaka Evessa, one of the final four teams, was still in the running for a 4th BJ-League Championship. This also means (which we didn’t know in advance) after two full days of Dance Clinics, were another two full days packed with games (two games per day).
8:45am, Saturday morning, we all met in the lobby of the Tokyo Dome Hotel to leave for the Ariake Coliseum (originally designed to be the Wimbledon of Tokyo). We all had attended a press conference with the coaches of the final four teams (Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Osaka and Okinawa) at the Coliseum the day before, so we were slightly familiar with where we were suppose to go when we arrived. One interesting fact I learned during that conference was that the coach of the Tokyo Apache team was none other than the father of Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant; Joe Bryant. In fact, one of the BJ-League representatives shared with us that Kobe was names after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan.
As we entered our locker room, we were happily welcomed by two tables full of snacks. I must say, the Petit Kit Kats were the cutest things ever! The BJ-League had graciously posted a very detailed run-down of our schedule for the day on the wall. After noticing the schedule did not end until our 7:40pm performance with the Dance Clinic participants, it was our 11:45am call-time to practice on court. Boy, were we in for a busy day.
I’ll always remember the very first time I walked onto the court of the Oracle Arena. I had my camcorder in hand to remember that moment in my life. For years did I sit in the stands, entertained by those on the court and on that day, I was transformed from the one being entertained, to the one entertaining. From that day on, every home game reminded me of that moment, but never so clearly as it did the day we walked on the court of the Ariake Coliseum.
I was fortunate enough to travel with the team to Guangzhou and Beijing, China to perform at two of our pre-season games this year. Although those were two new arenas to me, I felt a little more connected with the audience in Tokyo. Maybe it was because Shania’s grandmother’s good friends were watching her dance for the very first time, or knowing that the Japanese intern we had been working with will be performing for the first time in front of all her friends and family with an NBA dance team. Yet, it is also very possible to feel more connected with the audience because my brother had moved to Japan three years ago and was going to be attending the games.
We walked through the hallways and down a few stairs, and found colorful lights beaming through the tunnel. As we slowly entered the arena, the lights added a dramatic effect to our first impression of the coliseum. At that moment, I felt like an international super star. One of the dance teams of the Final Four was scheduled to practice on the court before us and as they danced, the colored lights were used to make it more “concert-like”. We weren’t going to be just, “A Great Time Out,” here; we were going to put on an unbelievable 90-second concert.
As we watched the other dance team finish up their rehearsal, I noticed the two major things that made this arena feel so new and different. First of all, the Ariake Coliseum still seemed very large, but it only sat 15,000 people (the Oracle Arena has a maximum occupancy of 19,200 plus 72 luxury suites). Secondly, the flooring of the court was completely different from the hardwood flooring in Oakland. After some research, I found it was made of small, grey-colored pieces (250 x 250 x 12.7mm) of Polypropylene (Read more at: http://www.nihon-sportcourt.co.jp/sportcourt/index.html). Although the flooring was slightly shock absorbant, it didn’t affect our dancing. During our quick rehearsal, I almost forgot we were overseas. For ten minutes, we were so focused on practicing; it felt like home.
In addition to the older aged dance clinics we hosted on the previous days, two more were scheduled for the younger kids. Prior to each first game of the day, three groups of children (separated by age) were given 45 minutes to learn a routine they would perform during the pre-game. We definitely underestimated the talent in Japan. Even at a very young age, the participants were very disciplined! They picked up the dance moves so quickly I was worried it might have been too easy!
Pre-game: After each WG had gotten dressed and their hair and make-up done, we found ourselves waiting in the tunnel for our cue. It was time for our BJ-League debut! The announcer was speaking in Japanese but we knew when to run out when he said, “...Warrior Girls!”
What a crowd! From the moment we stepped onto the court, the cheering did not stop. After we performed, each girl was individually introduced to the fans. One by one, we waved to the audience as each name was called. A special introduction was made for Yoshimi (our Japanese intern). This was a big day for her. When her name was announced, I felt an abundance of inspiration. After much hard work and training, we were finally sharing the “stage”.
Let the games begin! Game 1: Osaka vs. Okinawa. Game 2: Tokyo vs. Hamamatsu. Not much differed from the game. Same concept, same equipment, and same rules. Well, there were a few additional rules to the game being in Japan:
1. No more than three (3) non-Asian players can enter the game at the same time.
2. No more than four (4) non-Japanese players can enter the game at the same time
Consequently, at least one player with Japanese nationality must stay on the court during the game (http://www.bj-league.com/html/en/index.html).
Because the playoffs were taking place at a mutual location, each team brought their own dance team. It must have been a field day for Game Operations! Every game is set up like a big production. So much work goes on behind the scenes and the games in Japan were no different. With three dance teams, our WG Dance Clinic participants, and all the sponsors, there was never a dull moment.
After Day 1 of games, Okinawa and Tokyo were moving on to the finals. So much for Osaka’s fourth championship in a row. As we cleaned up our locker room, each dance team came in to visit. It was our little meet and greet session. Tokyo actually has a second dance team of younger kids who would be the equivalent of Golden State’s Jr. Jam Squad. A few of them performed a short dance sequence for us because we didn’t get a chance to watch them during the game. I was definitely most impressed by them.
It had been a long day. We were exhausted but knew we had to do it all over again.
8:45am, Game Day 2, everyone was in the lobby, prepared for another long, but exciting day. When we arrived, we went to the locker room, practiced on court, danced with the children and then got dressed and ready for the games. At the end of the day, Okinawa came on top, but for me, the best part was still to come.
My brother had invited five of his friends to come with him and watch the games. It was now their turn to come visit the locker room.
“You girls were great!”
It was wonderful to see him and have him see how much I have grown since he moved. It meant so much when I discovered he attended his first BJ-League game because I was going to be there. In the end, one of my most memorable moments were created. I love being able to reach out in the community and share with those, what I love to do. Now, my community has extended internationally. Thank you.
During our Tokyo tour, we had the pleasure to each put on a kimono. When we entered the changing room, we were invited to have a cup of green tea together to celebrate good fortune. As we sipped away, we found tiny gold flakes floating in our tea. At this moment, I learned that gold is an ancient symbol of prosperity and adds significance to any special occasion. It was a wonderful way to begin the process.
With nine changing stations set up on the floor (accompanied by a licensed professional kimono dresser), each girl was able to choose the color they wanted to put on. Being a little on the short side, I had fewer options (one to be exact), but was pleased by the gorgeous teal color of the kimono I was going to wear.
Now, a kimono is something one cannot put on alone. Before even getting started, I could foresee the longevity of the process from the look of each station. The fun began as we started with the socks. After about an hour of layer after layer, the kimono process was completed with a flower in our hair. I lost count while getting dressed, but the typical woman's kimono outfit consists of twelve or more separate pieces that are worn, matched and secured in particular ways.
Although I felt twice as large with all the layering, it looked as beautiful as ever. I was most impressed by the implementation of the large bows on our backs. 
When everyone was fully dressed, the picture taking began. How fun! Everyone looked so pretty in their kimonos! These are photos I will cherish forever.
Nowadays, kimonos are more often worn by women. But, few men still wear the garment at special events. I was told professional sumo wrestlers are often seen in kimonos because they are required to wear traditional Japanese attire when in public. Unfortunately, the sumo wrestlers we saw were not wearing kimonos. They were wearing Yukatas (what we wore at the hot springs), the more simple version. On the up side… we saw sumo wrestlers!
After changing out of our kimonos, we were on our way to Ryogoku Kokugikan where a grand sumo tournament was taking place! When we disembarked the train, it was only a two minute walk to the arena. As we briskly walked, we spotted a few sumo wrestlers, dressed in their yukatas, walking in the opposite direction. Most likely they were coming from the tournament. They did not look very large, but it got us more excited to see the bigger guys at the arena! With tickets waiting for us at will-call, we entered the building and was surprised at how large the event was. With about 10,000 attendees and refreshments and souvenir stands found throughout the arena, it almost felt like being at a basketball game!
We got there just in time to see the last couple of matches. They were incredible! Each match takes place within the sumo ring, called the, “dohyo.” Within the dohyo is a 15-foot diameter circle where the actual match, called a bout, takes place. A bout can be won in two ways: (1) forcing the opponent out of the inner circle or (2) forcing the opponent to touch the ground with any part of his body, other than his feet. Can you imagine how quick these run? Although the amount of time the opponents are in contact is very brief, the preparation beforehand feels like it takes forever! At the time, I had no idea what they were doing! After some research on Google, I found that a number of rituals are performed prior to each bout. After all the rituals are performed, both sumo wrestlers would get into position, stare at each other for a little bit, and if one is not ready, they will go back to their corners for more mental preparation and repeat the rituals again. It seemed like the more advanced the wrestlers were, the longer the preparation was. Sometimes it took about five minutes before they would start the bout. At times it got frustrating because we didn’t know when they would go at it, but when the initial charge took place, we watched in excitement. I was most nervous for those spectators sitting close to the dohyo. I wonder what kind of damage could be made if a sumo wrestler fell on you!
Our last night in Japan was coming to an end and just when I thought we couldn’t do anymore, there was still time to fit one more event in our schedule; the Tsukiji Fishi Market.
The Tsukiji Fish Market was known to be the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. When I was told that, it became another “must-see” for me. I’m such a sucker for major attractions. We were told that most shops close by the early afternoon, but if we really wanted to get a good taste of the fish market, we needed to be there around 6:00am. After seven very short sleep-nights, I put myself to the challenge to have one more. Four other girls were on board as well, but when I made the 5:00am wake up call, we lost one to the enemy of sleep. It was a rough morning, but with a little pick me up at Starbucks, we were able to make it to the fish market by 6:30am. I will forever remember the smell on the day I visited the Tsukiji Fish Market.
With over 400 different types of seafood, and over 900 wholesale dealers, I was overwhelmed! Did you know Tuna can weigh up to 660 lbs?!? I had no idea! As we walked through the market, individual carts were being driven throughout the market, transporting fish between buyers and sellers. It was very quick to learn they do not slow down for pedestrians. At the market, an auction takes place around 5:30am. We were told that we had just missed the craziness. Yet, our timing was perfect because although people were not screaming numbers and throwing fish all over the place, we were able to see everything and even take pictures with a few workers without getting in anyone’s way. Yoshimi told us tourists are not normally welcomed in the fish market because they come to see the fish, but not buy anything. Yet, all the workmen seemed very friendly to our group of four girls.
As the hours went by, it was finally time to go home. Going to Tokyo was an amazing experience but it was the people that made it all worth while. From working with the Dance Clinic participants and all the BJ-League representatives, to Yoshimi’s family, my brother and traveling with a group of my closest friends, I have made memories that will last forever. Because of this experience, Japan has a special place in my heart.
