→Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson.
→National High School Baseball Tournaments started in 1915.
→Koshien Stadium founded in 1924.
→NPB is established in 1950.
→The Dodgers popularity in Japan has risen to unprecedented levels. Factors such as the combined Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Rōki Sasaki on one MLB team.
Witness the combined force of the Dodgers (Big 3: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the Japanese trio Rōki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto). Witnessing the once-in-a-century legend is a rare opportunity to see a unicorn unlike any other in baseball history, as he defies the conventional wisdom of the sport!🗡️🛡️
The National High School Baseball Championships held at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, is a profound cultural event in Japan. Moreover, the tournament serves as a highly visible gateway where high school players (future stars) gain national recognition and are scouted for professional careers.
→Yomiuri Giants: Sometimes called the "New York Yankees of Japan" due to their historical success, immense popularity and polarizing effect on fans.
→Tokyo Series: The 2025 Tokyo Series was a historic MLB debut of Rōki Sasaki (Known as the "Monster of the Reiwa Era" in Japan).
→2023 World Baseball Classic Top 3 Moments in Japan:
Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout Final Inning [📺 by MLB]
Murakami Walk-off [📺 by MLB]
Rōki Sasaki Global Emergence [📺 by MLB]
The Rogers Centre is the home stadium for the Toronto Blue Jays, near the CN Tower (Canada's only Major League Baseball team) and is famous for its massive retractable roof. In 1989, the stadium had the world's first fully operational retractable-roof.
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. Renowned for their exciting brand of baseball and the distinctive atmosphere of Es Con Field. The Fighters have become an iconic baseball destination, largely due to their history of nurturing some of baseball's biggest stars, Shohei Ohtani (2013-2017) and ace pitcher Yu Darvish (2005-2011).
Shohei Ohtani: Shohei Ohtani born in Ōshu City and began his career with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters before joining MLB in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels. He quickly established himself as a modern two-way star, excelling as both a dominant starting pitcher and a powerful designated hitter.
Rōki Sasaki: Rōki Sasaki, nicknamed "the Monster of the Reiwa Era" began with the Chiba Lotte Marines in the NPB. He is known as one of the most iconic baseball players of all-time in Japan, emerging from the devasted Rikuzentakata city, losing his father and both grandparents in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Started in Bizen City of the Okayama prefecture, Yoshinobu Yamamoto quickly made his mark and entered the NPB with the Orix Buffaloes in 2017. He became the first player in baseball history to win the WBC, Olympic Gold Medal and the World Series.
What are MLB Manholes? (Scattered around Japan): Major League Baseball (MLB) manholes are custom-designed, artistic manhole covers installed in Japan to celebrate the country's active players in the MLB, such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This initiative honors the players' inspirational journeys by placing the covers in locations tied to their baseball roots or hometowns.
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i = 0;
while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
print 'Iteration ' + i;
deck.shuffle();
i++;
}
print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';