Izayuke Wakataka Army Corps

Izayuke Wakataka Army Corps is the official theme song of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball. Written in 1989 after the Hawks' relocation to Fukuoka, the song has been around since when Daiei owned the team. At the time, "Diamond Hawk" was the Hawks' theme song, and this one was considered the "official theme song". When SoftBank Group bought the Hawks in 2005, "Diamond Hawk" was retired. The song was originally written by Taneyoshi Harada and Yurioko Mori, composed by Mitsuhiro Tomiyama, and arranged by Kenji Yamamoto.

"Izayuke Wakataka Army Corps"
Song
GenreTeam anthem
LabelTaurus Records
Songwriter(s)Taneyoshi Harada and Yurioko Mori
Composer(s)Mitsuhro Tomiyama

Overview, history, and use during Hawks' games

In 1989, following the then-named Nankai Hawks' relocation to Fukuoka to be rebranded as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, it seemed like the team was needing a new song. They opened the song lyric writing to the public, and eventually got the late Taneyoshi Harada, a former elementary teacher who was living in the city of Saga at the time. The team wanted a theme song like The (Downward) Wind of Mount Rokko, the Hanshin Tigers' theme song. As of 2004, it sold 160,000 CDs.[1] When SoftBank bought the team off Daiei, there was a slight lyricial change and a slight tune change. This was done as fans adopted the song and was afraid SoftBank was going to change the song.[2] It wouldn't be until 2013 when the next lyrical change happened. As the Hawks' home, the Fukuoka Dome, was renamed the Fukuoka Yafuoku! Dome, a minor part of the lyrics was changed to reflect this. The same part of the lyrics would be altered again 7 years later, in 2020, as the stadium once again changed its name to the Fukuoka PayPay Dome, its current name.

Use in Hawks games

The Hawks use this when their players take the field prior to practice, when they take the field pre-game, before the Hawks are up to bat in the bottom of the 7th, and when the Hawks win. Before the game, they play the full song, presumably to get new fans to practice the song. During the Lucky 7 (when the Hawks are up to bat at the bottom of the 7th inning) only the 1st verse and chorus is played, and when they win, only the 2nd verse and chorus is played. However, only the 3rd verse and chorus is played only when the Hawks win the Pacific League pennant, are Pacific League champions, or win the Japan Series. The Daiei version is played when the Hawks wear the Daiei Hawks era jerseys.

Special versions

In 2019, to commemorate the Hawks' 30th anniversary of moving to Kyushu (the island in southern Japan where Fukuoka is) a version of the song was played in Hawks games known as WE = KYUSHU, where in this version celebrities like Jushin Liger, Hanamaru-Daikichi Hakata, Japanese pop group HKT48, Makoto Ayukawa, Bakarism, and Esis sung the song.

Note: Esis only sings in the full version.

References
  1. "いざゆけ若鷹軍団｜ワードBOX". 西日本新聞me (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  2. "応援歌変えないで　ファン、消滅を危ぐ ＣＤ駆け込み購入も 「社名部分替えて歌おう」". 2005-03-16. Archived from the original on 16 March 2005. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
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