1985 Japan Series The
Hanshin Tigers are located in
Kansai, the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan. They are considered the underdogs of
Nippon Professional Baseball, in opposition to the
Yomiuri Giants of
Tokyo, who are considered the kings. The fans flock to the stadium no matter how badly the Tigers play. In 1985, the Hanshin Tigers faced the
Seibu Lions and had a surprise first victory in the
Japan Series, A riotous celebration gathered at
Ebisu Bridge in
Dōtonbori,
Osaka, on October 16, three weeks before the Japan Series. Supporters yelled the players' names; with every name, a fan resembling a member of the team leaped into the canal. Lacking a Caucasian person to imitate Bass, the crowd seized a plastic statue of Colonel Sanders from a
KFC and tossed it off the bridge as an
effigy. Like Bass, the Colonel had a beard and was not Japanese.
18-year losing streak After their success in the 1985 series, the Hanshin Tigers began an 18-year losing streak placing last or next-to-last in the league. Brief rallies in 1992 and 1999 brought hope to fans, but they were followed with defeat. Numerous attempts to recover the statue failed, including the use of divers and dredging. Fans apologized to the store manager. Many KFC outlets in
Kobe and
Osaka moved their Colonel Sanders statues inside until the series was over to protect them from rabid Tigers fans. To prevent future incidents, the Osaka city council ordered the construction of a new Ebisubashi bridge beginning in 2004, which will make it more difficult for fans to take the celebratory leap should the Curse of the Colonel be broken and the Tigers win again. The right hand and lower body were found the next day, but the statue is still missing its glasses and left hand. It was said that the only way the curse could be lifted was by returning his long-lost glasses and left hand. The statue was later recovered (with replacement of new glasses and hand) and returned to KFC Japan. The KFC restaurant that the statue originally belonged to no longer exists, but a cardboard cut-out replica of the statue was placed in the branch near
Koshien Stadium during the 2023 playoff run.
2023 Japan Series The curse was broken in 2023 when the Tigers won Game 7 of the
2023 Japan Series for their first NPB championship since 1985. On March 8, 2024, KFC Japan held a burial ceremony for the statue, citing difficulties in maintaining the statue's condition. == See also ==