KOBE -- The sound of crashing helmets reverberates across the artificial lawn field in the shadow of Mt. Rokko. In the stands, students clad in school uniforms watch the action, with energetic cheerleaders cheering the teams on.
The stadium, which had hosted athletics events for a half-century, was reborn in 2003 as the base for American football in the Kansai region, and the fans have been delighted ever since.
Kicking off in Nishinomiya
Divided into opposing offensive and defensive teams of 11 players each, the aim in American football is for the offensive team to advance down the field by either running or passing the ball.
The Kansai Collegiate American Football League is immensely popular. Along with Expo Flash Field in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Oji Stadium hosts up to 40 games a year. Even in the relegation playoffs for the first and second divisions held in mid-December last year, each touchdown would be met with wild cheers.
During World War II, it was called "gaikyu" (armor ball) in Japanese and banned for a period of time due to the hostility of the sport. Its growth began after the war, with the Kansai region universities leading the way. Located near the Hankyu Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Nishinomiya Stadium and an adjacent facility Nishinomiya Kyugijo became the primary venues.
The Kansai collegiate league kicked off with its first official game at Nishinomiya Kyugijo in 1941. From 1948, Kwansei Gakuin University put together a 145-game winning streak that has never been topped. It was Kyoto University that brought the streak to an end, and the rivalry between the two schools drew vast attention.
In the 1990s, Ritsumeikan University wedged its way into the mix, and has become a competitive equal.
Reforming an aging stadium
When the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, however, the area underwent vast redevelopment, and both stadiums were closed at the end of the 2002 season. Akira Furukawa, executive director of the Kansai American Football Association, said the league was hard-pressed for a solution. "We looked into moving the games to schools with fields that didn't even have stands," Furukawa, 88, recalled.
Helping to save the league was in itself part of reconstruction efforts. "Sports would help vitalize the area," said Kazuki Nishikawa, 76, who was superintendent of the Kobe city board of education at the time. "American football, which can draw crowds of tens of thousands, held great appeal."
The Oji athletics stadium, which had opened about 50 years earlier and was operated by the city, had badly deteriorated, and had stopped serving as a venue for major athletics events. The city and the association banded together to save the stadium, putting in an artificial lawn field and refurbishing the stands. To top it off, the scoreboard from Nishinomiya Kyugijo was brought over and installed.
In the area, the Suidosuji shopping street has been a beehive of activity dating back to the late Taisho era (1912-1926).
A banner that reads "American Football Town" now hangs in the arcade. In 2007, a stone statue "Asekaki Ebisu" wearing a football uniform was installed. Ebisu is one of Japan's seven lucky gods.
Housed inside a small wooden shrine, the statue is clutching a football instead of the usual red sea bream. A costumed mascot was also created.
"[Football] fans come by and have a good time shopping and eating," said a gleeful Kazuhiro Nagai, 55, executive director of the arcade's cooperative association.
Kansai's domination
The Koshien Bowl is the national collegiate championship game, and Kansai teams have won nine of the last 10 clashes. The Kanto region has the upper hand in the majority of college sports, but when it comes to American football, Kansai reigns supreme.
"There is a historical background, but it is also the fact that we have established the infrastructure to reliably play games," Furukawa said.
Rugby, which is similarly played with an oval ball, saw its fan base greatly expand after the national team reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time ever at last year's tournament.
"I want American football to generate more excitement," Furukawa said. "The Kansai region leads in ability and popularity, and I have hopes that it will lead the way."
Even today, a scoreboard brought back to active duty watches over the passionate football players as they do battle.
-- How to get there
The stadium is located close to Hankyu Oji Koen Station. It is a 10 to 20-minute walk from JR Nada Station or the Hanshin Line's Iwaya Station. The stadium capacity is about 3,000. In addition to American football, it is also the venue for soccer and lacrosse games. For more information, call the Municipal Oji Sports Center at (078) 802-0223.
-- Extend your trip!
Museum Road
The municipal street (about 1.2 kilometers) that connects the Kobe Oji Zoo and the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art was given this nickname in 2010.
Along the route are numerous cultural facilities, such as the BB Plaza Museum of Art, the Kobe City Museum of Literature and the Haradanomori Gallery of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
Art events are often held in the street.
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