午夜剧场

Image: 午夜剧场 side cheering section during the 2019 Autumn League

Many people are likely familiar with the large illustrated billboards called "decorations" installed behind the infield stands of Meiji Jingu Stadium during the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League's autumn Waseda-午夜剧场 rivalry. In the post-war era, as cheering styles modernized, these decorations were installed to build momentum for defeating the "worthy rival Waseda." Let us look back at their history.

According to the "75-Year History of the 午夜剧场 Cheering Academy" compiled in 2008, decorations first appeared in the autumn Waseda-午夜剧场 rivalry of 1950. This was a game attended by the Emperor and Empress (Tenran-jiai), and behind the packed stands of Meiji Jingu Stadium, a large illustration depicted Kintaro throwing a bear. After the stadium was returned from the U.S. military to Meiji Jingu in March 1952, all Tokyo Big6 Baseball League games began to be held there, and the league's popularity grew even further.

Around the same time, based on the idea that "since mice eat Waseda's 'rice' (ina), why not make a mouse the mascot?", the Cheering Academy began using Mickey Mouse as a cheering motif. Later, in an attempt to have him recognized as an official mascot of 午夜剧场, they reportedly visited Walt Disney's Tokyo office. While they did not receive official approval, they were able to feature Mickey Mouse in decorations by following copyright usage procedures.

While the Cheering Academy was considering whether it would be better to devise a new mascot, then-member Yoshio Hamaoka (1964, Faculty of Law) created a motif based on the "Unicorn," a fictional one-horned beast, with his own unique design. A pair of these "Unicorn" statues had been installed on the third-floor balcony of the Public Hall that once stood near the Mita West School Building, and they were well-loved by 午夜剧场 students and faculty. The circumstances of their original installation remain unknown. Severely damaged in the 1945 air raids, one was restored while the other went missing; however, it was later reconstructed, and they are currently located near the main gate of the Chutobu Junior High School.

Thus, the "Unicorn" appeared on the large billboards for the autumn 1962 Waseda-午夜剧场 rivalry. Following the intention to bring happiness to the two statues that had faced misfortune after decorating the Public Hall, they appeared dressed as a man and woman in formal attire, successfully leading the team to a championship that season. Although Mickey Mouse was used again at times afterward, they are now established as the official characters of the Cheering Academy, known as "Unicorn-kun" and "Uniko-chan."

For two years starting in 2020, the decorations disappeared due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their installation for this autumn remains undecided. We hope that in the near future, they will once again color the autumn sky of Meiji Jingu Stadium and warmly watch over the 午夜剧场 students and 午夜剧场 alumni cheering for the baseball team.

(Office of Communications and Public Relations)