Things Japanese - Baseball

Japanese Baseball first appeared in Japan in the 1870's, brought over from America and grew amid the social, cultural and technological changes Japan underwent after the Meiji restoration. The game began as a club sport and Japan's first team was the Shinbashi Athletic Club. The sport gradually became popular with schoolboys and eventually won recognition from the government.

The Tokyo Giants began playing as the first professional team in 1934 and within 10 years Japan had a professional league of eight teams, which continued on a limited basis through much of World War II. After WWII, perhaps to boost morale, the allied forces, encouraged the sport and its popularity began to grow.

In 1950, the Pacific and Central leagues began and the game took a new, stronger hold on the country. Soon, it was Japan's most popular sport, with players such as Sadaharu Oh, Shigeo Nagashima and Sachio Kinugasa becoming icons. American players steadily traveled to Japan to pursue careers in America. Masanori Murakami, became the first Japanese player to go the other way, pitching for San Francisco in 1964 and 1965. No other Japanese played in the Major league until Nomo signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and sparked 'Nomo-mania' in 1995.

Most recently, the biggest name in Japanese baseball and now one of the biggest names in US baseball, Ichiro Suzuki transfered from Orix Blue Wave (Kobe) to the Seattle Mariners joining fellow Japanese Kazuhiro Sasaki. Ichiro (unusually, known by his first name and not last name) made the All Stars game and has had an impressive first season in the Major League.

Japan generally plays by the same rules as American baseball (though there is a time limit on games and they can end in a tie), but that does not mean the games are the same. The game itself is seen as more precise, with an emphasis on fundamentals and teamwork. Players who make one or two errors in a game may be on the bench for the next game. Japanese baseball is played in a different, high-pressure atmosphere. You will see managers getting in players' faces and putting their finger on the player's chest and even cuff them in the head.

Players who have experienced both leagues say that: "In Japan, you can't really talk to each other in practice" and "after a loss, no one talks in the clubhouse. It's silent, no one says anything. You get dressed, you get on the bus, and no one says anything. ... It's a big deal when you lose. After a loss, guys would go and swing the bat 200-300 times". The Japanese style could be described as 'businesslike', with all the teams in Japan, except Hiroshima, being owned by corporations, and to many observers, run like corporations.

One thing you cannot fault about baseball in Japan is the fans. Followers of the game in Japan are passionate, creating a carnival atmosphere at games. They travel to away games, bringing flags and banners with them, standing when their team is batting banging drums and singing songs for each batter. The most popular team in Japan is the Yomiuri Giants based in Tokyo. They won the Championship last season and have been regular winners for a number of years and are favorites again this year. They are currently leading the Central League and are set for another series showdown for the title against the winner of the Pacific League in September.

The future of baseball in Japan seems bright and its popularity has not waned, even with the launch of a new professional soccer league nearly 10 years ago. But with the Soccer World Cup coming to Japan and Korea next summer, baseball may be put on the back burner temporarily as football fever hits Asia. Afterwards I think it will be business as usual as baseball continues to be Japan's number one sport.

Ichiro Suzuki said this about baseball's success in, and hold on, Japan:

"The Japanese are a people who always take the best things from all over the world and make it better and turn it into part of our culture."

External Links:

http://www.geocities.com/s_borisov/jb2001/
http://www.webcrawler.com/sports/baseball/intl_baseball/japan_baseball/
http://www2.gol.com/users/jallen/jimball.html#General%20Info
http://www.inter.co.jp/Baseball/
http://www.japanesebaseball.com/

Note: The links above are to sites not on the yamasa.org server.
Please email us if there are broken links.

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