​Seiya Watanabe and Nevin will be joining the lineup of the Saitama Seibu Lions' classic cheering item, the "Players Print Face Towel." They will be available for purchase at The Lions Team Store Flags and other retail locations starting March 31st.
*Pre-orders are available at The Lions Store Online from March 27th. (Shipping will begin sequentially from March 31st.)

The "Players Print Face Towels" are characterized by designs that reflect the individuality of each player, as the players themselves decide on the colors, motifs, and other details. This time, we visited the production site of the towel designed by player Watanabe, who has been newly added to the lineup. How did Watanabe's meticulously crafted design come to be? We investigated the story behind it.

Based on the concept of "the strength of a lion"

First, we had our initial meeting. We decided on the design direction, taking into account the designs of existing players. Watanabe's initial request was for a "lion."

"The last 'Seiyan Goods' were cute and had a humorous feel to them, so this time I wanted to go for a more robust feel. I'd be happy if the towels people held up looked cool."

That's what Watanabe said. Last year's first produced merchandise, "Seiyan Goods," featured eye-catching comic-style illustrations, but for this towel, he said, "The lion is a symbol of The Lions, and I hope to express something like a fighting spirit," aiming for a design that emphasizes the strength of the lion.

Regarding the color, she said, "I like green, but..." as she looked at the existing designs. There were several designs that used green as the base color, and she said, "I don't want to use the same color as other players," so she decided to adjust the background color to make the lion stand out while keeping it from being the same color as other players. She also wanted to include blue in the lettering of her name.

Without hesitation, they decided on using kanji characters for the towel's name. Looking at Shuta Tonosaki 's towel, which had his last name prominently displayed, Watanabe muttered, "It's nice for people with strong first names." He then made a request, saying, "I'm not called Watanabe, so it would be better to have my first name or full name listed rather than just my last name."

Next, they considered motifs other than the lion. They seemed to be interested in the cherry blossoms designed on Natsuo Takizawa 's towel, so they decided to include flowers. Ideas came pouring out, such as "flowers that symbolize 'passion' or something like that." In the end, hydrangeas, a specialty of Fuchu City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Watanabe's hometown, were chosen as a candidate.

After design revisions, the towels are finally complete!

Based on the initial consultation, six design options have been finalized. Mr. Watanabe will review them again and decide which design to adopt.

To ensure it wouldn't clash with other players' designs, black was used as the base color, with blue lettering as requested, and gold used to stand out against the black. The design also incorporates pale blue hydrangeas in the background, and Watanabe nodded in approval.

At this point, a request came in to add a little color to the hydrangeas. "The overall look is close to monochrome... just a touch of color on the hydrangeas. Also, I'd like to make the lion's face stand out a bit more," she said, showing her attention to detail.

After revising the design, the towels were finally completed!

Upon seeing the finished towel, Watanabe exclaimed, "It's incredibly cool! So stylish!" The roaring lion standing next to Watanabe conveys a sense of power. The hydrangeas in the background also add a vibrant touch to the towel.

Finally, we asked Watanabe to promote the towels to the fans.

"I put a lion in the center to give it a strong image and convey a sense of determination. The flowers in the background are hydrangeas, a specialty of my hometown, Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture. I can see the towels in the stands clearly while I'm playing, so please hold them up when I'm at bat! Thank you for your support this season as well."

Please raise your cheering towels in the stands and cheer for Watanabe!

Interview and text by Kai Nagi Niwa