Sunday was supposed to be Yankees Day at the Tokyo Dome. The American national anthem was supposed to be played by a U.S. military band. Public address announcements were supposed to be made in English. One fan was even supposed to win a round-trip airline ticket to New York. Out of respect to those who lost their lives in last Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., the Nippon Ham Fighters canceled the festivities on Thursday. But the game against the Chiba Lotte Marines was held as scheduled.
A few hundred foreigners attended the contest. That number, however, was supposed to be well into the thousands. The mood inside the Dome was somber at times. A moment of silence took place before the contest, which the Marines won 5-2.
For many Americans in the crowd, the game served as a well-needed distraction from the tragic events back home.