Let’s Join Special Sale for Victory ! | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Let’s Join Special Sale for Victory !

By Guidable Writers Sep 22, 2016

What Is Magic Number?

Magic number is the language of Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB) which indicates how many games the team needs to win to become the league champion. If your city has professional baseball club, you might have heard of it and seen countdown board like below. When the number becomes 0, the club wins the pennant, then special sale, also called “V sale” starts from the next day. Usually the number is not used for soccer, but when the soccer club wins the victory, special sale is also held in its hometown.

 

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Are You Ready for Victory?

Supermarkets, department stores, restaurants etc. start planning special sale since then, and some of them have “thanks for your support sale” as rehearsal before the team’s win. The detail varies by shops, however, they set special price and discount rate which come from the skipper’s uniform number or the number of how many times the club has won the pennant. For example, some department store sold several grocery products by 25 yen each because the club have won the 1st pennant in 25 years. Or other department stores sold exclusive memorial items like pure gold baseballs and bats, the plates which skipper and regular members’ autographs are printed, etc. Moreover, some bank sold a special fixed deposit which interest is paid when the club comes in 3rd place or up. Even though public offices, bank, and transportation don’t have sale, but they occasionally put up the banner like below to celebrate the local club’s victory.

 

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Why Do They Have Special Sale?

The sale is held to revitalize regional economy. Sometimes several shops tend to discount too much, however, people can share the happiness which the club has brought to them. At department stores, customers are greeted by welcome chocolate instead of sake. The stores used to have opening sake barrel ceremony and greeted their customers with welcome sake in the Showa era. But it has been quit to consider children and drivers. Most of supermarkets usually have sale when the local teams win the game. Through the sale, people might be interested in local professional sports and pay attention to their game results. The sale is also held at several restaurants and bars, and they offer free yakitori, free extra noodle, 50% off beer, etc. The sale period is usually for 5 or 7days, and another sale will be held when the teams win the playoff, or become Japan champion. Also the sale is occasionally held at the antenna shop which is located outside the prefecture. Even you live in the city which has chance of V sale or not, why don’t you join it?

 

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Yuko

Japan