How Baseball Found its Base in Japan
It is not clear who pitched first in Japan. Some say that American missionaries of
Christianity taught how to play baseball as well as English in 1871. Others state
that the man was Mr. Makino Nobuaki, who studied in US and was a student of Kaisei,
an antecedent of the prestigious Tokyo. University.
Anyway, you can be sure that Japanese people saw balls and bats in early Meiji Era,
when they were eager to import anything from the West. The first official team
appeared in 1878; Mr. Hiraoka Hiroshi, an railway engineer in Tokyo, established
"Shimbashi Club"
Students Played A Lot
Although Hiraoka's team consisted of workers and engineers, main players were students.
In 1897, games between higher schools in the old school system (similar to prep schools)
became popular. Then universities and colleges in Tokyo, such as Keio-Univ and Waseda-Univ,
founded a baseball leagues and excited a big audience.
Becoming a National Pastime
As a newspaper company started a national tournament of baseball in summer 1915,
a lot of ambitious high school players came to the stadium from all over Japan.
By the time another tournament that newspaper company sponsored appeared in spring
1924, children in almost every town played catch.
... with Some Seriousness
Since then, however, some teachers and players with experience of Judo or Karate
have regarded baseball as an exercise with philosophical concepts of martial arts;
for them, it is not a "sport" or "pastime", but a "way to discipline themselves
or train both body and soul".
"Mental Baseball" above the enjoyment
Even today, such ideas are prevailing in Japan, especially the above mentioned
high school tournaments in Koshien Stadium near Kobe. All games in these tournaments
are broadcasted on TV, and you can see that almost all players have their hair cut
very short. Many people view baseball as a tool of education.
Professional Players: Unwelcome At First
If it is a tool of education, there cannot be professional players. Some baseball
lovers tried to establish a professional baseball league, but they were not welcomed;
their neighbors and even family members objected or hated such an idea, citing that
it was imprudent.
First Professional League Founded in 1936
Overcoming such objection, Mr. Shoriki Matsutaro of Yomiuri Newspaper, one of the
biggest newspaper companies, succeeded in founding the first professional baseball
league in 1936. The league consisted of his Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin, Nagoya, Hankyu
and Senators. Many players joined them after gaining popularity in high school
tournaments and university leagues.
Exchange between US and Japan
In those days before the war, winning teams of tournaments and leagues of schools
visited US to play games with, and learn a lot from American teams. Some major leaguer
members came to Japan and showed their power, speed and great skills. Even today, the
level of Major League is far higher than Japan's professional players, in spite of
an exceptional case of Nomo.
Greater Popularity of Professionals after the War
In burnt fields, baseball became a real national pastime. Eight professional
teams fought for the championship, including Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin Tigers,
Nankai Hawks, Chunichi Dragons, Hankyu Braves and Senators. Sluggers like "Red-bat"
Kawakami and "Blue-bat" Oshita were heroes among boys.
Dual League System and Hiroshima Carp Born in 1950
With Mr. Shoriki's initiative, the professional league was divided into the
Central League and the Pacific League in 1950. This reflected, or mimicked,
American system of National and American leagues. In the same year, Hiroshima
set up a professional team Hiroshima Carp, a Central League member.
Each league has six members. The Central League today consists of Tokyo Yomiuri
Giants, Yakult Swallows (Tokyo), Hanshin Tigers (Osaka), Hiroshima Toyo Carp,
Yokohama BayStars, Chunichi Dragons (Nagoya). The Pacific League has Seibu Lions
(Tokorozawa, Saitama), Kintetsu Buffaloes (Osaka), Orix BlueWave (Kobe), Fukuoka
Daiei Hawks, Nippon-Ham Fighters (Tokyo), and Chiba Lotte Marines.
A Long Way to Japan Series
Both leagues starts games in early April, though the Pacific League has started
in March 30 this year. A team goes through 130 games a year, playing 26 games with
the same team according to "Home and Away" style. Finishing 130 games, champions
of both leagues meet in "Japan Series", which gives the champion flag to the team
winning four games first. It is like Major League's "World Series".
*If your are interested in Japan Series, you cannot miss "All Star Games" in July
as well. In those two games a year, star players, elected from both leagues through
voting by baseball fans, show their fast balls, home runs, and excellent and
beautiful skills.
Japan Professional Baseball Organization
Commissioner Yoshikuni Ichiro has governed Central and Pacific leagues since 1989,
which are led by Messrs. Kawashima Hiromori and Harano Kazuo, respectively. In the
organization, these two leaders and owners of all teams make Working Commission and
act as a parliament of Japanese professional baseball. Owners have their own conference.
Franchise System
Professional teams are very popular in their hometown as a "franchise team".
In the Central League, for example, most of citizens in Hiroshima like Hiroshima
Toyo Carp. You have to pretend to be a fan of Dragons in Nagoya. Though Yomiuri
Giants and Yakult Swallows (both in Tokyo) enjoy nationwide popularity, people of
Osaka and Yokohama support Hanshin Tigers and Yokohama BayStars, respectively.
Minor Leagues in Japan
Above mentioned professional teams are "Ichigun" or First Team, but they have
"Nigun" or Second Team that is equivalent to 3A or 2A in US. Japan has two minor
leagues called Western League and Eastern League. The former consists of niguns
of Yomiuri Giants, Nippon-Ham Fighters, Lotte Marines, Yakult Swallows, Yokohama
BayStars, Seibu Lions. The latter has Chunichi Dragons, Hanshin Tigers, Kintetsu
Buffaloes, Orix BlueWave, Daiei Hawks and Hiroshima Carp. They also has a minor
Japan Series called "Junior Championship" in September, and "Junior All-Star Games"
in July.
Hopeful Players Are "Drafted"
Professional teams can look for hopeful players in corporations, colleges and
high schools, but they are prohibited to negotiate with them directly; before
negotiation, they have to draw lots in an annual "draft meeting" in November.
The original concept was to allocate scarce rookies equitably to all teams.
However, this system robs young players of "rights to join their favorite teams".
Then since 1993, rookies with best potential in corporations and colleges have
been allowed to "designate" or pick up their favorite teams before the draft meeting.
... and Some Players Are "Traded"
Teams trades players in order to cover weak points and strengthen themselves.
Both buying and exchanging player is legal on the playing field.
Foreign Players: Up to Three
Professional teams have enjoyed helps from foreign players. Most of them were from
3A in US, but some "stars" came to Japan, including Cecil Fielder and J. Franco.
However, a team can employ up to three foreign players, and let only two of them play
in ichigun. Also, a team is able to register up to 70 players as its member: 40 play
in the major, and 30 play in the minor.
How Many Fans Visit Stadiums
A team in the Central League welcomes 1 to 3.5 million visitors a year, and a
Pacific League team has 1 to 2.1 million in stadiums. This suggests that Japanese
professional baseball entertains more than 23 million people in a season. The figure
would be far larger if fans watching TV are included. Most of games of Yomiuri Giants,
one of the most popular, are broadcasted to all over Japan. As in US, famous players
are celebrities.
Major Influence of the TV Broadcasting
TV stations in Hiroshima cover all of Hiroshima Toyo Carp's home games (in Hiroshima
Citizen Stadium). It also should be noted that Hiroshima Toyo Carp allows media to
broadcast both major and minor games. The team thinks that such coverage would
entertain vigorous fans in Hiroshima and contribute to growing young players to
be stars in the future.
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