For Wisconsin native Ty Morse, his scheme to bring two dozen Green Bay Packers fans from the heart of Tokyo to Lambeau Field seemed surreal.
“It did not feel real until they arrived at Austin Straubel airport in Green Bay,” Morse told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “When they finally arrived, and then they saw everything was taken care of, that was literally the first moment for me that (I thought), ‘Wow. This is all happening.’”
Morse is one of the central figures in a new documentary following a group of fans dubbed the “Japanese Packers Cheering Team” and their first trip to Green Bay.
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He said the events that became core to the new documentary “No Packers, No Life” began in 2017 when he ran into several Packers fans wearing player jerseys in a karaoke bar in Shibuya, one of the most populated districts in Tokyo.
“We couldn’t say much to each other, other than player names, so we spent like five minutes just naming players back and forth,” Morse said in the documentary.
The fans told Morse that the Packers fans in Tokyo watch new Packers games and rewatch their favorites.
Morse and the film’s director Craig Benzine captured footage for the film at one of the watch parties in Japan. Benzine told “Wisconsin Today” that the club’s passion for the team felt more intense than other viewing parties he’d been to — even for games the club has seen before.
“It was a prerecorded game. It was a game that they had already seen. They knew the outcome, but they reacted as if they didn’t,” Benzine said. “There were Packer Shoes. One of them had Packer artwork all over his phone. A little cheese charm on one of their glasses.”
Morse invited members of the cheering team to travel across the world and stay with two friends in Green Bay. Twenty-four members showed up. Morse said having the fans attend house parties in Green Bay and stay in his friend’s homes was an interesting wrinkle of their experience.
“In Japan, you don’t go to people’s homes often. The homes are small. Home life is very private,” Morse said. “So, I think that the component of hanging out at these homes, having meals with people, having a beer, sitting across the table in somebody’s kitchen or living room, that was a huge part of the bonding experience, as well.”
After touring Green Bay — attending its farmers market and riding the “Zippin Pippin” roller coaster among other activities — the fans made it to Lambeau Field.
The game was a nail-biter, with the Packers coming back from being down 14 at halftime to win against the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime, 27-24.
When asked about what drew these fans to a franchise that took them halfway around the world, Morse said the Packers’ distinctive sports culture sets it apart.
“There’s something unique and special about the Packers being this super small market team in the middle of America owned by the people. ‘Charming’ was a word that they would use,” Morse said. “I’m not surprised that these people meeting could happen around a magical team that has a magical story with a magical fan base.”
