Hanshin Tigers vs. Yakult Swallows Game Halted by Heavy Rain at Koshien Stadium, Fans Divided Over 'No-Game' Plea
On July 11, 2025, a professional baseball game between the Hanshin Tigers and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Koshien Stadium was interrupted by heavy rainfall. As the Hanshin Tigers were trailing in the game, numerous calls for a 'no-game' (match nullification) erupted on social media. On X (formerly Twitter), posts such as 'Please, let another torrential downpour hit... it doesn't look like we're going to score any runs' and 'Why don't they just make it a no-game!?' were frequent. Some even questioned the judgment of the umpire crew and Hanshin Engei (the stadium groundskeeping staff), with humorous pleas like, 'Umpires, run to home plate, face the backstop, raise one hand, and shout 'No game!'' In response to this situation, Yakult fans expressed mixed sentiments: some hoped for a 'no-game' to maintain their winning streak, while others preferred the game to resume, saying, 'So it resumed. This was for the best. If it had ...