Traditionally, Japanese baseball has been strong.
The Japanese national baseball team is strong.
Currently, we have Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish. There's also rising talent like Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals, who represents his parents' home country and had an impressive performance in last year's Japan Series. Yoshida Masahiro, who joined the Red Sox this year after hitting a lot in the Japan Series, is also there. Unfortunately, Seiya Suzuki couldn't participate, but he was highly motivated.
In essence, we have four powerful Major League players and many domestic players who play key roles for their respective teams and are dedicated to fulfilling their given roles.
Now, let's consider the question, "Why has Japanese baseball been able to remain at the top of the world among various sports?" Here, I would like to think about the reasons from the perspective of an average Japanese person, rather than a commentator or baseball insider.
One reason may be that it's not a full-contact sport where physical differences have a significant impact. First and foremost, I remember that "there were many people in Japan who supported baseball." Another reason is "Koshien Stadium."
Baseball is popular in Japan. Even today, in nationally beloved anime series that have been around since the Showa era, there are scenes where the main characters come home from school, throw their backpacks aside, and rush out to play baseball.
Back then, it was normal. When I was a child, as soon as I came home from school, I would grab my glove and bat and head to an empty lot or a park. Friends naturally gathered every day, and every day was like a game.
With many children playing baseball, their numbers continued to increase, and they joined town teams and club teams, gradually practicing the fundamentals more seriously. It's a fact that a considerable number of children were involved in baseball. In that environment, there is the sacred ground of the National High School Baseball Tournament, "Koshien Stadium." It's a stadium where players like Ichiro, Matsui, Ohtani, Matsuzaka, and many others have aspired and sweated. It's safe to say that every citizen knows this stadium.
From childhood, that place becomes an aspiration, a goal. It's not an exaggeration to say that daily practice is aimed at standing on the "Koshien Stadium" field.
Drawing in audiences that rival professional team games, experiencing the joy of competing against powerhouse teams amid overwhelming Japanese-style cheering. I thought the existence of "Koshien Stadium" is significant.
That hasn't changed even now.
If you ever come to Japan and love baseball, I highly recommend visiting it at least once. The sacred ground, "Koshien Stadium."
Translation: Japanese baseball has traditionally been strong. The Japanese national baseball team is strong.
Currently, with players like Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, as well as the rising star Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals, representing his parents' home country and having a great performance in last year's Japan Series, and Yoshida Masahiro, who moved to the Red Sox this year after a successful performance in the Japan Series and is full of motivation, we have four powerful Major League players. In addition to that, there are players in domestic teams who play central roles and are dedicated to fulfilling their given roles.
"Why is Japanese baseball able to remain at the top of the world despite the existence of various sports?" Here, I would like to think about the reasons from the perspective of an ordinary Japanese person rather than a commentator or someone involved in baseball.
One reason might be that it is not a full-contact sport where physical differences have a significant impact. First and foremost, what comes to mind is that "there were many people in Japan who supported baseball." Another reason is "Koshien Stadium."
Baseball is popular in Japan. Even in nationally beloved anime series that have been around since the Showa era, there are scenes where the main characters come home from school and rush out to play baseball, throwing their backpacks aside.
At that time, it was normal. When I was a child, as soon as I came home from school, I would grab my glove and bat and head to an empty lot or a park. Friends naturally gathered every day, and every day was like a game.
Because many children played baseball, their numbers continued to increase, and they joined town teams and club teams, gradually practicing the fundamentals more seriously. There is a reality that quite a few children were involved in baseball. In that context, there is the sacred place of the National High School Baseball Tournament, "Koshien Stadium." It is a stadium where players like Ichiro, Matsui, Ohtani, Matsuzaka, and many others have aspired and poured sweat. It is unlikely that anyone in the country is unaware of this stadium.
From childhood, that place becomes an aspiration, a place to aim for. It would not be an exaggeration to say that daily practice is aimed at standing on the field of "Koshien Stadium" someday.
Drawing audiences that rival professional team games, experiencing the joy of competing against strong teams in the midst of overwhelming support. I thought the existence of "Koshien Stadium" was significant.
That remains the same even now.
If you ever come to Japan and love baseball, I would definitely recommend visiting it.
The sacred place, "Koshien Stadium."
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