Japan Baseball – Everything That You Need To Know

If you are a baseball fan, then you know how popular baseball is in Japan. After getting introduced by some teachers from the United States in the 1870s, it did not gain popularity instantly. 

After Nippon Professional Baseball got the declaration of Japan baseball in 1950s, they got most of the popularity. Players got recognized by everyone from back then to now.

Even today, I see so many promising players with a large audience in Japan. The audience is cheering on and on while the players try their best. Sounds so motivating, doesn’t it?

If you are here, that means you are eager to know about Japanese baseball. And everything you should know about Japan baseball is in this article. So, let’s have a tour and find histories and recent activities about Japan’s baseball.

How Baseball Got into Japan

Origin Year: 1878

First Organizer: Horace Wilson

First Adult Club: Shimbashi Athletic Club

I always heard the phrase, “One can make a change if he/she wants.” And I found a reflection of this in Japanese baseball. Only one person, an English Professor at the Kaisei Academy Tokyo, tried to make that change. 

Horace Wilson organized the first adult baseball team, which they named the Shimbashi Athletic Club. This club was established in 1878, quite a long time ago. After the adult club got established, they did not stop there. 

The creation of the baseball club had the education ministry’s hand at that time. And I think he made a bold move by making the game accessible to children. The approach he took was worth executing. Children got baseball in their physical education curriculum.

This is where baseball started gaining popularity. I really admire Wilson’s thought of bringing baseball to Japan. Soon students started playing baseball. And then, time passed by, and baseball gained popularity in the whole nation.

How the Name “Nippon Professional Baseball” Come

You may have heard what Japanese baseball is called, haven’t you? Yes, it is known as “Nippon Professional Baseball”. It is also known as Puro Yakyu. But do you know how this name actually came?

At first, people used to call it the Japanese Baseball League, a professional league where players of Japan used to play for titles. It was formed in 1936 and even continued to play at the time of World War II. 

I was so amazed by thinking how much they loved the game that even at that hasty moment, they played the game. 

Later on, the JBL got a turnaround in 1950, creating two new leagues. They are – 

• Central League
• Pacific League

And combining them together, Nippon Professional Baseball was formed with a new chapter. I really admire them for doing this so relentlessly.

But Japanese baseball is just a big part of baseball. If you want to learn the history of baseball, you can always check it out. There is so much to learn about baseball!

How Popular Is Baseball in Japan?

Because of some ground-breaking players like Shohei Ohtani, Michio Nishizawa, Kazuo Matsui, and many more, people are recognizing Japan baseball a lot. In fact, I have become a fan of some great baseball players, because I have learned a lot of things from them.

Now, let me tell you one thing that will blow up your mind. Can you imagine people all over Japan watching baseball? One of the games between Japan’s World Baseball Classic (JWBC), and Korea drew more than 60 million viewers in Japan.

Can you imagine the number? Well, it is only for a part of time in your eyes. But when I saw the number, it shook my whole body. Their average television viewership is around 40-50 millions. 

Differences Between Nippon Professional Baseball(NPB) and Major League Baseball(MLB)

We all know how Major League Baseball has created its dominance to showcase baseball all over the world by itself. But the NPB did not stand out. If you check out their stats, they are creating quite a big space in audiences all over the world too.

Now, to show you how they differ from each other, I have added a table down below to showcase their differences – 

Differences Between NPB and MLB
Nippon Professional Baseball	Major League Baseball
1. The rules of NPB are slightly different from MLB’s rules	1. MLB created its own rules.
2. Mizuno is the manufacturer company of Japan’s baseballs.	2. MLB has Rawlings to do their baseball.
3. The strike zone of the field is smaller and narrower inside.	3. The strike zone is bigger than that of the NPB stadiums.
4. NPB has a rule of ending a match in a tie.	4. North American baseball does not have such a rule of having a tie.

Some of the Best Baseball Stadiums in Japan

Many of you may doubt why showcasing stadiums. Well, if you want to learn properly about Japanese baseball, then you need to learn about the stadiums too. Because the stadiums play a vital role for the players to enjoy the match while entertaining others.

Now, everyone can have their own list of favorite stadiums. I also have my favorite list. Here are some of my choices of baseball stadiums in Japan –

• Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium
• Hanshin Koshien Stadium
• Meiji Jingu Stadium
• Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi
• Es Con Field Hokkaido
• MetLife Dome
• Nagoya Dome
• ZOZO Marine Stadium

Leagues in Japan Baseball

While speaking about Nippon Professional Baseball, I told you about two leagues, the central league and the pacific league. These are the two major leagues in Japan baseball.

Now, each of these two leagues comprises six teams. Let’s check how those teams came into these two leagues.

Central League

We mostly call the central league the C-league. As you already know, the Central League was formed in 1949 with an awesome rich history. You will find some of the most iconic baseball teams in this league.

Now, let’s talk about the teams of this league. Six teams participate and compete to check who is the best in this league. The teams are – 

• Yomiuri Giants,
• Hanshin Tigers,
• Chunichi Dragons,
• Yokohama DeNA BayStars,
• Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and
• Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

These teams have some awesome and great founding history, some great players, and some internal facts. Let’s get to know each of them in a short brief. 

Yomiuri Giants

Founded: 1934

Owner: Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings

Home: Tokyo Dome

Champions of Central League: 38

Nippon Champions: 22

Based on the stats of the Yomiuri Giants, you can say they are the most successful teams in the Central League. This team is one of the two professional baseball teams based in Bunkyo, Tokyo.

When I heard about their founding history, I was a little bit surprised. Because they were founded even before the Central League was formed, that means they influenced baseball in Japan so much. 

Also, as you can see from the statistics above, people in Japan refer to the Giants as “The New York Yankees of Japan”. Why won’t they? If you compare the stats with the other teams, they are doing exactly the same in NPB that the Yankees are doing in MLB.

The Giants are still doing great in the modern days. They influence the players all over Japan. 

If you want to do great like these Giants, then having a smashing bat is essential. I will prefer you to check out the top 10 best combat baseball bats that will help you to unleash your full potential.

Hanshin Tigers

Founded: 1935

Owner: Hanshin Electric Railway Co.

Home: Hanshin Koshien Stadium

Champions of Central League: 5

Nippon Champions: 1

Like the Giants, Hanshin Tigers also have an old history too. Established in 1935, the Tigers made a major contribution to Japan baseball. 

As far as I have dug into the history of the Tigers, I found out that they used to be known as “Osaka Tigers”. Then for some deep reasons like banning English nicknames, they only got the name “Hanshin”. Later on, in 1961, the name we all know now got famous.

Do you know the Tigers hosted games for some consecutive years that got so much popularity in Japan? More than three million people came to watch those games. Not only that, they also won a match against the big team in MLB, “New York Yankees” by 11-7. 

Hanshin Tigers have been making a lot of contributions to increasing baseball popularity in Japan with the help of their games. I probably think they will be a great rival against some of the MLB teams.

Chunichi Dragons

Founded: 1936

Owner: Shin-Aichi Shimbun

Home: Vantelin Dome Nagoya

Champions of Central League: 9

Nippon Champions: 2

Chunichi Dragons is one of the teams I found in this league who changed their names before settling it as is in 1954. Whatever their name used to be known as they really made some prominent players from their club. 

You may have heard the name “Michio Nishizawa”, haven’t you? Nishizawa has contributed greatly as a pitcher for the Dragons. After having a successful accomplishment from 1936 to 1968 in the Dragons, he left the team with lots of respect. 

That is a part of the club data. The Dragons have a lot of history from their establishment. And even now, they are trying to make some great contributions to baseball.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Founded: 1949

Owner: Tomoko Namba

Home: Yokohama Stadium

Champions of Central League: 2

Nippon Champions: 2

I never thought an experimental team like Yokohama DeNA Baystars would actually be a great professional baseball team. In fact, no one has thought that at the very beginning. But as I was learning their histories page by page, I got a grasp of this matter. 

At the very beginning of the Baystars, they used to be known as “Taiyo Fisheries”. It was their post-war name. And such like this, they changed their names a lot of the time until 2011. The names were – 

• Taiyo Whales (1950 – 1952)
• Taiyo Shochiku Robins (1953)
• Yo-Sho Robins (1954)
• Taiyo Whales* (1955 – 1977)
• Yokohama Taiyo Whales (1978 – 1992)
• Yokohama BayStars (1993 – 2011)
• Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2012 – Present)

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

Founded: 1949

Owner: Matsuda Family

Home: MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima

Champions of Central League: 9

Nippon Champions: 3

Do you know the reason behind the Hiroshima Toyo Carp having “Carp” at the end of their name? There are two major reasons why this name came. 

The first reason is the Hiroshima Castle. What I learned is that this castle is known as “Rijo,” which means Carp castle. Many people say this is the reason behind them adding Carp at the end of their name.

Another big reason for keeping Carp at the end of the name is the “Otagawa River”. Since this flowing river is famous for the specialty of Carp in Hiroshima, that may be the case for keeping the name like that.

There is a lot of history that I have dug out. And among them, what I really want to share with you is their prosperity. With the games they played from the very beginning of the club’s establishment, they gained a lot of popularity.

Not only that, they represented Japanese baseball to everyone inside and outside Japan with their brilliant plays. I really admire their way of gaining success.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Founded: 1950

Owner: Kokutetsu Swallows(1950 – 1965), Sankei Shimbun(1965 – 1968), Yakult(1970 – Present)

Home: Jingu Stadium

Champions of Central League: 9

Nippon Champions: 6

Tokyo Yakult Swallows is the team that joined the Central League last. But in 2021, they became the number one team in Japan. I really believe they achieved a lot within such a short period of time. 

The Swallows are one of the best teams in the Central League besides the Giants. And I think it is so funny that both the big teams of the Central League are from Tokyo. It is as if they are creating some big groundbreakers. 

As you can see above, there are so many ownership changes in this big club in Tokyo. At first, Kokutetsu of the Japanese National Railways owned them. Later the Sankei Shimbun, a newspaper company, grabbed them. But that was so; later, it was sold to Yakult.

And like that, eventually, the name got into so many variations that it was concluded as Tokyo Yakult Swallows. But apart from all of that, it is quite interesting for me to get a grasp of their achievement both at home and in the Nippon Champions League.

For this amazing team, many people in and out of Japan got to know a lot about baseball. 

Speaking of the clubs, have you checked out their stadiums? Moreover, there are some old stadiums where many histories were made. Similar to the Japan Stadiums, there are some MLB stadiums that you may want to know about. So, check them out.

Pacific League

I know that the Central League has some great teams who pioneered the central league and Nippon Championship. So are Pacific League (also known as Pa League) teams too. There are many promising teams with great team members. Let’s check the teams out first – 

• Orix Buffaloes
• Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
• Saitama Seibu Lions
• Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
• Chiba Lotte Marines
• Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

The teams have great contributions and a lot of titles, even though some teams were formed way later in Japan. The prosperity those teams made effectively increased the popularity of baseball in Japan.

Orix Buffaloes

Founded: 1936

Owner: Orix

Home: Kyocera Dome Osaka

Champions of Pacific League: 14

Nippon Champions: 5

Have you ever heard of a team having many franchises? Orix Buffaloes is one of them. Not only that, Orix Buffaloes have a long history of their name. It was not made in a day. 

The Orix Buffaloes is actually a merge of the then-team Orix BlueWave and Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. And as far as I know, they were suffering from some success issues after the merge.

But that is one part of the story. The merging helped the Buffaloes to point out some of the most prominent players. 

But for some reason, I have not found them at the top of the list for quite a long time. I hope the Buffaloes will recover from this amnesia and get back up as champions soon.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Founded: 1938

Owner: Nankai Club

Home: Fukuoka PayPay Dome

Champions of Pacific League: 19

Nippon Champions: 11

One of the two pre-war Pacific League clubs, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, was founded as the Nankai baseball club in March 1938. Since then, the Hawks have had some great achievements and influence over Japan baseball.

At first, the team was known by other names such as Nankai Hawks, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, and lastly, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The team gained a lot of prosperity at home and in the Champions League too. In the team clashes, gaining 19 home titles and 11 all-Japan champions titles is a big thing.

Saitama Seibu Lions

Founded: 1950

Owner: Subsidiary of Seibu Railway

Home: Belluna Dome

Champions of Pacific League: 23

Nippon Champions: 13

I found many teams in the Pacific League, but with an aggressive playing style with strong offense, Saitama Seibu Lions grabbed my attention totally. 

With so much success, the Lions are pretty much ahead of other teams in the Pacific League. The major reason why I like this team is because of their spirit to grow and some prominent players.

Do you know about the player named Kazuo Matsui? He was one of the New York Mets shortstops. You may have a question like, ”Why are you mentioning him?” Well, the reason is he was one of the players of the Saitama Seibu Lions. 

Apart from that, the fanbase of the Lions is so much hyped. And why won’t they be? The players of the team show a great outcome which motivates the audience to cheer for them more. That is the reason why I am so much fond of this team.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Founded: 2004

Owner: Rakuten Internet Shopping Company

Home: Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi

Champions of Pacific League: 1

Nippon Champions: 1

As one of the newest teams merged from Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles have done great in both the Pacific League and the Nippon Champions League.

There is a lot of chaos at the very beginning of the team’s formation. Some players were on strike because they thought many players would go jobless because of that. And we should actually respect these players’ hard work.

After granting the request to merge new teams to the NPB, the new team got the name that we know today. But there were some conditions that Livedoor and Rakuten took. They said the team will play the home games in Miyagi Baseball Stadium. 

More than that, they also hired a general manager and manager to make the team stronger from the inside. And this, I guess actually worked well for them. Even though the team is totally new to the world of Japan baseball, they still got one title each in the Pacific League and in the Champions League.

Chiba Lotte Marines

Founded: 1949

Owner: Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd

Home: MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima

Champions of Pacific League: 9

Nippon Champions: 3

One of the most amusing things that I love about the Chiba Lotte Marines is their stadium, do you know why?

The stadium is right on the water! So, if you go to watch their home matches, you can enjoy both the beauty of the water splashes along with the exciting matches of the Marines.

The Marines were known as Mainichi Orions when they were first founded. Later after a merge occurred with the Daiei Unions, they got the name Daimai Orions. Later, they got some more names, such as Tokyo Orions and Lotte Orions, which dragged them to their today name.

Also, I should add that the Marines have gained quite a great popularity from the very beginning. With so many championship titles in hand, you can also guess how great they play. I will really suggest you watch some of the great players of the Marines in the field.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

Founded: 1949

Owner: Saburo Yokozawa, Manager of the Tokyo Senators

Home: ZOZO Marine Stadium

Champions of Pacific League: 5

Nippon Champions: 4

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters is another Pacific League team that was formed at the same time as the creation of two leagues. Can you imagine after the foundation of the team, they called Tokyo home for around 58 years?

But from the history of the fighters, I came to learn that later they moved to Hokkaido in 2004 and tainted people with their great performances. 

Moreover, with the pitching ability they got, they created a show on the field. I really loved one of the matches. The match between the Fighters and the Tigers still makes me shiver. The winning percentage was almost equal for both teams.

I really enjoyed the whole match. And from that day onwards, I became quite a fan of this team. I highly suggest you watch their plays more.

Some Notable Japanese Baseball Players Who Also Played in MLB

Do you know the reason for me looking inside Japan baseball? Of course, it is MLB that lured me here. Actually, that is half true. I have some favorite players in MLB who also played baseball in Japan. That is why I got to know so much about Japanese baseball.

Let me provide you some of the best players in Japan Baseball who later transferred to MLB.

Masanori Murakami

The name is historical because on September 1, 1964, he became the first Japanese to play in the Major Leagues.

And do you know why he was really handy? Masanori entered in the eighth inning as a reliever for the Giants and gave up a single, but struck out the side. 

The significance of that day still remains here. Like you and me, most of us feel the day even decades later. 

Hisashi Iwakuma

When I used to watch Hisashi Iwakuma, he was not that well in shape. After shrugging off years of injury and producing a dominant 2008 season by notching 21 wins, he won the MVP, and the Sawamura Award as Japan’s top starting pitcher. 

And do you know how he held up his dominance over the world? Iwakuma carried his success internationally at the second World Baseball Classic held in 2009 as Japan won the Championship.

If you are thinking that Iwakuma joined directly, then you are wrong. He joined the Seattle Mariners as a free agent. As a rookie, he split time as a starter and reliever. But I will say 2013 is the best season of his MLB career. His 14-6 record and 2.66 ERA made it possible.

But I feel sorry for this amazing player. Iwakuma had to retire because of his shoulder injury and I did not watch his historic plays again.

Masahiro Tanaka

Two qualities that will define Tanaka are –

• His drive to achieve perfection, and 
• His composure under pressure.

It is a bit hard for us to maintain one, but he always tried to maintain both of them. One match in Japan made him a bigshot totally. That is his 2013 game. The game was Tanaka’s last season.

In this season, Tanaka had an undefeated record ending the regular season with a 24-0 record and 1.27 ERA. Can you even imagine doing this low Era to the opponents?

He was an excellent pitcher with more than 160 pitch-complete games. You heard that right, 160!

Tanaka was a great player with dedication. If you want to be like Tanaka, then you need to show dedication like he used to do. Do you know, the New York Yankees signed him officially after the match. 

Shohei Ohtani

Did you hear about Babe Ruth? People in this generation resemble Shohei Ohtani as the modern baseball Ruth. Can you imagine how famous he got after coming to MLB?

Ohtani not only swings well, his pitches are monstrous. Have you ever thought about how fast Babe Ruth used to throw? Ohtani also throws speedy balls like Ruth. Do you want to know some of the stats of Ohtani? 

After what I have researched, with a batting average of .285, and .361 on base percentage, 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.

There are many things that I can write about Ohtani. As a big fan. I really admire his guts to play the giants and standing up for himself.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Long Is the Japanese Baseball Season?

NPB baseball season starts around the end of March or at the start of April till September. If you do not want to miss the matches, this is the time schedule you need. 

It is because the season consists of two parts – a regular season and the climax series. Climax series is the part of the season where the main part goes on, Nippon Champions League. So, do not miss out. 

2. Can Foreign Players Play in Japan Baseball?

Yes, any foreign players from anywhere can play baseball in Japan. If you are outside of Japan and you have the confidence to play, you are welcome in the game. 

3. Are There Any Cultural Rituals or Customs Associated with Japanese Baseball?

Ever heard about organized cheering and chanting? I heard it. All the Japanese fanbase starts cheering, which feels like one voice. And that gives me big goosebumps for the feelings that they share. 

More than that, you will see ceremonial first pitches, introductions of the players, and much more traditional stuff there.

Final Thoughts

Is this everything you should know about Japan Baseball? Well, it totally depends on you. Japan baseball has so much to learn. But no need to worry.

You can always come by and check out a lot of cool stuff about Japan baseball and the teams. As I know, the history of Japan baseball has so many facts to learn about. And if you are a true baseball fan, you will love to read them here.