Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Balloon Release, Koshien Stadium, Japan - 2019

Professional baseball in Japan is a sensory overload experience - even if one is not a sports fan, I highly recommend attending a game of Japanese Baseball if you're visiting during the season. I was there photographing fan portraits for a photography project, and went to a Hanshin Tigers game at Koshien Stadium outside of Osaka. The Hanshin Tigers fans are just about the most spirited fan base of any team I've photographed, and this custom of releasing bright colored balloons during the 7th inning stretch is a wild visual moment to try to capture...

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Copyright: © Harry Zimmerman