Speed demons: the ‘uriko’ beer vendors of Japanese baseball

In between chanting fans at Japan’s Tokyo Dome races an army of women in fluorescent uniforms carrying unwieldy backpacks with attached spray-guns.

These are the uriko — beer vendors who are as unique to Japanese baseball as the cheering sections that beat drums and blow horns to rally their teams.

Made up almost exclusively of young women in miniskirts or shorts, the tradition might appear outdated to some, like the cheerleaders who somersault onto the field between innings.