However, for 11 years until 2005, except in 1999 when official games were not planned in Nishikyogoku, and during the four seasons such as 1998 and between 2002 and 2004 when the official games of Hanshin were cancelled because of rain, the consecutive six defeats continued over these cancellations and thus the sports newspaper even reported, 'Nishikyogoku is Kimon (the northeastern "unlucky" direction, person or thing to be avoided) for Hanshin' (because Nishikyogoku was located in the north-east direction from Hanshin Koshien Stadium).
しかし、阪神は2005年までの11年間、この西京極では日程が組まれなかった1999年を除き、1998年と2002年～2004年の4シーズンで雨天中止に祟られた上、この中止を挟んで6連敗と負けが込んだことから、「西京極は阪神の鬼門」（甲子園から見て西京極が北東方向にあるため）などと取り上げるスポーツ紙もあった程である。