A Small Chronicle of the Rise of Baseball in Japan

Sometime between 1867 and 1873, an American professor, Horace Williams, at what is now Tokyo University, is credited with introducing baseball to the sovereign state of Japan. Williams came to Japan to educate English and American History, but his sports activity is what has impacted Japan the most. Partner American Albert Bates, teaching at Kaitaku University, organised the elementary baseball game in Japan.

The ahead Japanese baseball club, the Shinbashi Athletic Club Athletics, was organized in 1878 by a former U.S. undergraduate who was a fan of the Boston Red Sox. By 1896, the skill of the still amateur players was demonstrated during the first international baseball game played between Ichiko team from Tokyo's First High Academy and an American bunch organized at the Yokohama State and Athletic Club. The Japanese had challenged the Americans to the game and were not taken seriously. The American spectators jeered and booed the Japanese at the thought that they could beat Americans at their 'national pastime.' The Japanese duo soundly defeated the Americans.

During the years between 1903 and 1934, amateur baseball in Japan was wildly popular. University teams were vying with each other in the Sokeisen, between Waseda University and Keio University; and at the Summer Koshien or National Colossal School Baseball Championship as well. The Governmental Alpine Faculty Baseball Invitational Tournament or Spring Koshien began in 1924. Many senior high schools in Japan participate in the National High College Baseball Championship and or the National High Institution Baseball Invitational Tournament. The tournament is named after Koshien Stadium which was built in 1922 and is the oldest of the Japanese stadiums. The stadium seats 55,000 people and still has grass, unlike most other stadiums in the nation which have astro-turf.

Professional baseball in Japan can be traced back to 1920, although the first professional league was not organized until 1936, consisting of six teams. The first professional faction was created by Shouriki Matsutarou and is now noted as the Yomiuri Giants. The ongoing highest Japanese professional competition is Nippon Efficient Baseball, created in 1949 consists of four leagues. The year 2005 glaring the foundation of the Shikoku Island League. Japan fielded a franchise known as the Tokyo Dragons as part of the any more defunct Global League in 1969. An effective baby league in Japan is formed by corporate sponsorship of employee teams that play in local leagues and for a national championship.

There was a professional women's baseball league as well. Beginning in 1952, the women's teams took department in semiprofessional leagues until early in the 1970s. The Japan Women's National Outfit took silver medals at the Women's Baseball World Mug in both appearances.

Japanese youngsters in the Bantam League World Series compass won five of the championships and have placed moment three times. As of 2007, the Japanese championship organization testament not be required to win an Asian regional competition, but will proceed directly to the Little Cooperative Sphere Series.

The Big Six University League was the organizational structure for baseball in Japan from the 1900's buttoned up the 1930s. Now, at the university level, the All-Japan University Championship is an annual competition for institute teams.

In the search for stronger competition, a Japanese team from Waseda University travelled to the United States in 1905. Three senility later, the baseball party from the University of Washington returned the visit and played in assorted games that became the ornament of international interest in the sport of baseball. 21 American college teams made the trip to Japan and several Japanese teams made the answer journey to the United States. Crack players from the United States, including Youngster Ruth and Ty Cobb, too toured and played exhibition games in Japan.

In 1934, during Ruth's visit, 75,000 spectators jammed into the Koshien Stadium to see the MLB stars. Internationally, the Japan national team has won three Olympic medals, two Intercontinental Cups, and captured medals in six Baseball World Cups. The dominant star quality of the Japanese baseball players has now false many Americans newly aware of the narration of Japanese familiarity in the American state pastime. In particular, activities of Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, and other players from Japan who have been playing in the extreme leagues get heightened interest in the story of the sport in Japan.

Intense nationalism in Japan in the caducity preceding to World Contention II proverb some dominant changes in baseball in Japan, but following the War, the interest in baseball play resumed and has been an integral part of Japanese life ever since.

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