In Photos: Japanese baseball is back, minus the cheering crowds

Panels with messages of encouragement are seen in the vacant stands at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, for a game between the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Chunichi Dragons. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Naotsune Umemura)

Tokyo Yakult Swallows mascots Tsubakurou, right, and Tsubami are seen at the entrance of Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, for a game between the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Chunichi Dragons. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Naotsune Umemura)

The words "WITH FANS" are spelled out in the empty outfield stands at Tokyo Dome on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, ahead of a game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Takehiko Onishi)

Yomiuri Giants uniforms are seen arranged on the seats in the Tokyo Dome on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, ahead of a game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Takehiko Onishi)

A Yomiuri Giants uniform bearing a message from a fan is seen on a seat in the Tokyo Dome on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, ahead of a game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Takehiko Onishi)

The Orix Buffaloes mascots BaffaloBULL, right front, BaffaloBELL, left front, and other characters are seen in seats at Kyocera Dome Osaka in western Japan on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, for a game between the Buffaloes and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Tatsuya Fujii)

Cheerleaders are seen in the stands with flags bearing players' names and photos plus messages from fans attached to the seats at Kyocera Dome Osaka in western Japan on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, for a game between the Orix Buffaloes and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Kenji Ikai)

A flag bearing a player's name and photo is seen draped over the seats along with messages from fans at Kyocera Dome Osaka in western Japan on June 19, 2020, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)'s 2020 season opening day, for a game between the Orix Buffaloes and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Tatsuya Fujii)

Sheet-sized message from fans are seen arranged on the outfield grass stands at MetLife Dome in Saitama, north of Tokyo, on June 19, 2020, for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game between the Saitama Seibu Lions and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Toshiki Miyama)

Messages collected from fans are seen arranged in the stands at MetLife Dome in Saitama, north of Tokyo, on June 19, 2020, for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game between the Saitama Seibu Lions and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Toshiki Miyama)

The Nippon Professional Baseball opening day game between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Chiba Lotte Marines is played without spectators at PayPay Dome in Fukuoka in southwestern Japan on June 19, 2020. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Noriko Tokuno)

Panels bearing photos of fans and messages of encouragement are seen set in the stands at PayPay Dome in Fukuoka in southwestern Japan on June 19, 2020, for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Chiba Lotte Marines. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Noriko Tokuno)

Messages collected from fans are seen in the stands at PayPay Dome in Fukuoka in southwestern Japan on June 19, 2020, for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Chiba Lotte Marines. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Noriko Tokuno)

Fans watch a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game at a public viewing venue at Rakuten Life Park Miyagi in Sendai's Miyagino Ward in northeastern Japan on June 19, 2020. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Daisuke Wada)

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles fans, spaced apart to prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus, celebrate the team's first run during a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game at a public viewing venue at Rakuten Life Park Miyagi in Sendai's Miyagino Ward in northeastern Japan on June 19, 2020. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Daisuke Wada)

Panels featuring photos of fans are seen in the empty stands at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama's Naka Ward, south of Tokyo, on June 19, 2020, for a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) opening day game between the Yokohama DeNA Baystars and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. NPB is beginning its season some three months late and without fans in the seats due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Mainichi/Kaho Kitayama)