dirt-infield

I thought it was because grass is difficult to maintain in the hot and wet Japanese summers.

> I was wondering if any one knew the true reason
> behind the Japanese infields being made of dirt. I
> was wondering if it in some way realted to the taoist
> beliefs of some Japanese. If any one has any idea
> can you please write me back.

I've always been under the impression that it was simply not really thought about. Early American fields were also all-dirt infields. Koshien was made that way, and I've always thought that grass fields were made more or less in Koshien's image. I'm 100% positive that it has nothing to do with daoist beliefs, since Daoism has never gained a foothold in Japan. The two major religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. Shintoism is nature-based animist belief system, but I can't imagine how or why it would dictate dirt infields for baseball. Besides, Kobe Green Stadium has a grass infield now, and the reception seems to have been universally approved of.

CFiJ is probably right there, but I think if it had been thought about, they would have reached the conclusion that it just wasn't worth putting grass in.

I mean, how many grass playgrounds are there around Japan? And look at the problems the World Cup organizers are having with some of the pitches. It's either the soil, or the weather, or maybe both these plus the lack of expertise dealing with grass surfaces.


I don't think what they did with Green Stadium will become a trend, although more parks might try using the new grass-like surface at the Big Egg.

Does Tokyo Dome now have Field Turf?

Yes. Watanabe-owner, in an attempt to keep Godzilla by making him as happy as possible (i.e. meeting his complaints about the poor artificial surface at Tokyo Dome) had Field Turf installed during the past off season. It looks pretty nice from TV, but that may be because that grid-iron that could never be erased from the previous carpet is finally gone.

I believe that the old Korakuen(the home stadium for the Giants and Fighters before the Tokyo Dome was bulit in 1988season)had a natural grass infield back in the 60's. The astro turf was implemented in the old koshien stadium back in the 1976.

Depending on which gaijin travel writer you choose to believe, the part of a Japanese stadium with religious connections is the dugout. It is said that dugouts are purified with a mound of salt on the steps. But that is Shinto, Japan's home-grown faith, not the Taoism of China.