SAPPORO — It wasn't until recent years that Hokkaido was believed to be a place that wouldn't come into being, mainly because of the far, isolated location from the mainland of Japan — Tokyo particularly — and its chillier climate.
Rera Kamuy players slap hands, signaling the end of a team pep talk, during a recent practice in Sapporo.
The squad is a first-year JBL team.
KAZ NAGATSUKA PHOTOWe have to, however, call it a groundless fear. The J. League's Consadole Sapporo, who became the first pro team in the northern island in 1998, and NPB's Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, who moved here from Tokyo three years ago, have successfully taken roots on the soil.