The term 'yakyuuken' originated from a Shikoku baseball game in October 1924, between the local teams of Ehime and Kagawa. The Ehime team lost the game 6–0, and its manager, senryū poet , improvised a cheerleading dance from the tune of classical kabuki to boost the morale of his humiliated team. This dance later became an iconic feature of the Ehime team.
