◆パ・リーグ　オリックス０―７日本ハム（１８日・京セラドーム大阪）

The first day of the annual popular event, "Orihime Day," saw a sea of smiling female fans at Kyocera Dome. More than four hours before the 2 PM game started, a long line formed in front of the shop. Over 450 people waited, more than the 25th year's total. As soon as the shop opened at 10 AM, a "battle" ensued for 112 items of merchandise across 11 different types, including towels featuring the top 10 players in the Orix Buffaloes' vote.

This year's theme is "naturalness." Posters of the Orix Buffaloes players, dressed in white-based clothing, were put up in front of the store. The Sports Hochi tabloid newspaper, "Orihime Day 2026 Special Edition," was also on display. A woman from Nara Prefecture excitedly said, "Iwasaki looks so cool! He has such a relaxed and wonderful aura. I'm going to look at every single page." She was thrilled by the back cover, which featured the 36-year-old right-handed pitcher, the fifth pick for the Orix Buffaloes.