▁their ▁name . ▁They ▁eventually ▁chose ▁" Base ▁Ball ▁Bear ," ▁the ▁name ▁under ▁which ▁they ▁performed ▁their ▁first ▁gig ▁at ▁Sh im ok it az awa ▁Gar age ▁that ▁July . ▁Through out ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁they ▁continued ▁playing ▁in ▁the ▁Sh ib u ya ▁and ▁Sh im ok it az awa ▁areas ▁of ▁Tokyo ▁as ▁their ▁fan ▁base ▁began ▁to ▁grow . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Base ▁Ball ▁Bear ▁signed ▁with ▁Bl itz ▁Pia ▁Records , ▁an ▁independent ▁label . ▁They ▁immediately ▁released ▁their ▁first ▁mini - album ▁Y ū g ata ▁Generation ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 6 . ▁The ▁band ▁released ▁its ▁first ▁single , ▁Y ume ▁is ▁V ision , ▁in ▁April ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁band ' s ▁songs ▁to ▁be ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁music ▁video , ▁which ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁Y ū ki , ▁a ▁Japanese ▁fashion ▁magazine ▁model ▁and ▁Base ▁Ball ▁Bear ▁fan . ▁The ▁band ▁spent ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁pract icing ▁and ▁writing ▁new ▁songs , ▁some ▁of ▁where ▁were ▁featured ▁on ▁compilation ▁CD s . ▁ ▁The ▁band ▁released ▁its ▁first ▁full - length ▁album , ▁High ▁Color ▁Times , ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁and ▁started ▁playing ▁concert s ▁to ▁sold - out ▁crow ds ▁in ▁larger ▁ven ues . ▁Also , ▁Sh ior i ▁Se k ine ▁was ▁cast ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the