By Junko Fujita
TOKYO (Reuters) – Osaka police breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after no serious incidents were reported in the wake of the Hanshin Tigers’ first Central League title win in 18 years as fans kept a lid on their celebrations.
Police deployed 1,300 officers in the downtown area on Thursday evening as the Tigers took on the Yomiuri Giants needing one more win to secure the pennant.
A 4-3 victory at Koshien Stadium delivered the title, although 26 people jumped into the Dotonbori river during the ensuing celebrations, the lack of serious incidents was a stark contrast to previous wins.
More than 5,000 people were estimated to have jumped into the river after the team’s 2003 title win, leading to fatalities.
Shops and property had also been vandalised in previous years, with a Colonel Sanders statue snatched from outside a KFC and thrown into the river in 1985.
Osaka police said the lack of incidents on Thursday came as a surprise.
“Tigers fans were much more calm than we had expected,” said Satoshi Oshimo, an Osaka prefecture police officer. “They used to be violent, like smashing up signboards. But there was nothing like that.
“We had expected them to be much more animated after bans imposed during the pandemic were lifted.”
The Tigers will look to build on their regular season success by winning the Japan Series for just the second time.
(Reporting by Junko Fujita, Writing by Peter Rutherford in Seoul; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
