“Enjoy everything to the fullest in any situation” – Interview with The Fighters Girl Yuna Uemura
Pacific League Insight Ikeda Sari
2025.11.14(金) 17:02
As the cheerleading and performance teams of the six Pacific League teams begin recruiting new members for 2026, Pacific League Insight interviewed members currently active as performers for each team.
What kind of scenery awaits those who pass the audition and become members? Also, what thoughts have arisen through their activities?
This time, we have Yuna Uemura, a Fighters Girl from Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters official The Fighters team. We spoke to Uemura, who led The Fighters Girls as captain in the 2025 season, her third year as a cheerleader.
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© HNFAn essential presence at The Fighters home games. The fox dance has become a specialty of Ace Combat.
The Fighters Girls were formed in 2004 when the team was founded in Hokkaido. In addition to cheering on the team and livening up the stadium with their performances, they also guide stadium tours, promote the team in various media, and act as dance academy instructors. They also actively visit kindergartens and nurseries across Hokkaido and participate in events, acting as a bridge connecting fans and the local community with The Fighters.
The Fighters Girls are also known for their dance performances between inning at The Fighters home games. Their “Fox Dance” and “YMCA” performances, which are considered specialties of ES CON FIELD Hokkaido, are well known and popular among many baseball fans.
© HNF
Uemura, who led the team as captain in the 2025 season, joined the team through the 2023 new member auditions. Originally from Sapporo, Hokkaido, she studied at The Fighters Dance Academy as a child, but moved to Tokyo to continue her studies. When she was looking for a job, she realized that she wanted to “bring smiles and excitement to many people through performance,” so she auditioned.
Looking back on when she joined, she said, “There’s a strong image that the job of a team cheerleader is to perform on ground, but the activities of The Fighters Girls were more diverse than I had imagined. In particular, I felt that there was a lot of work that involved using my voice, such as MCing events, guiding stadium tours, and appearing in the media.”
The most important thing in my activities is to “enjoy it to the fullest”
The most important thing for Uemura when it comes to his activities is to “enjoy it to the fullest.”
“I’ve always felt that when I perform with genuine enjoyment, it naturally brings smiles to the faces of my fans. That’s why I try to do my best in every situation, enjoying every moment.”
In the 2025 season, Uemura worked on a project he launched himself called the “inning Dance Project.” Throughout the season, he came up with inning dances for each series, and the members divided up the tasks of choosing songs, creating choreography, and even editing videos to show the behind-the-scenes production. There were times when things didn’t go smoothly, but by actively relying on many people and getting help, and through trial and error, he says that before he knew it, he was able to complete the project while truly enjoying the time he had spent “creating something together.”
This experience, in which he was able to complete the game without forgetting to have fun even in situations where he felt pressure, led to great growth for Uemura and increased his confidence as a captain.
The Fighters Girl Yuna Uemura © HNF
The Fighters Girl is currently recruiting new members for 2026. Uemura, who works as a “performer in the professional baseball world,” talks about what she feels is the best part of her job.
“Professional baseball is loved by many people, regardless of age or gender, and I believe it is one of Japan’s leading sports. Being able to perform on that stage brings with it a succession of moments that I feel are deeply rewarding every day. Creating moments when the entire stadium comes together and becomes excited, and being able to share the joy and excitement with the fans, is what I think is the best part of this job.”
He spoke to those who will become members in the future.
“I would love to see people who have a pure love for The Fighters and a passion to share their appeal with as many people as possible become The Fighters Girls.
Our activities include traveling to various parts of Hokkaido to promote the appeal of The Fighters, and visiting kindergartens and nursery schools to help children experience the joy of sports. We feel that it is also our important role to think about and act on how to make The Fighters feel closer to people who are unable to come to ES CON FIELD Hokkaido on a regular basis.
What The Fighters Girls are doing is not just to ‘impress with their performances’ but also to ‘have fun together with the fans’. I love the friendly image of The Fighters Girls. I hope that future members will also work with love and help to further enliven The Fighters and Hokkaido!
I sent a message saying:
The audition period for new The Fighters Girl members in 2026 is open until Monday, November 24th. Even those with no experience in dancing or MCing can apply. Give it a try!
・ The Fighters Girl Official Instagram (@fightersgirl_official)
・ The Fighters Girl 2025 Member Directory Check out the profiles of all 22 members!
Text by Ikeda Sari
AloJapan.com