This work ethic is reflected in all aspects of society: each and every These highly prized attributes are an extension of the samurai concept of (guts) drills, these exercises in marathon running, fielding (a thousand ground balls in succession), and batting allow the player to demonstrate effort ( Beginning at dawn and continuing till dark, workouts resemble a Marine Corps drill instructor's most sadistic fantasy of Boot Camp Hell. Most American ballplayers are literally in for a rude awakening when they begin practice, Japanese style. , or "outsiders," not necessarily a derogatory label). Japanese teams are allowed a maximum of two Westerners ( The Japanese attitude toward practice also reflects a different cultural approach. I played one half-inning in Osaka that took forty-five minutes. They have to discuss everything to death with their coaches before they make a move. According to Warren Cromartie, an American playing in Japan, "Managers in Japan are afraid to make quick decisions, because they are afraid of making a mistake. Like a Japanese business meeting, the game can go on, seemingly, forever. On-field meetings are convened to consider every possible factor in detail before a decision is made. Japanese are attracted to baseball because of its relatively slow pace. of A., this pitching approach is considered somewhat effete, and the prevailing mentality is more one of "C'mon, throw me your best fastball, let's see what you got." In the States, the players are more apt to challenge one another physically, and this is known affectionately as "country hardball." Nobody wants to be the one who serves up the Three-ball, two-strike counts are common in Japan, and consequently there are a lot of walks. Pitchers throw a lot of curve balls and nibble at the corners of the plate. ![]() In contrast, Japanese games are won by bunts and walks. The ultimate is the dramatic blast that knocks in three runs and wins the game. Team attitude is paramount, and as a result the game becomes, by Western standards, a little, well.boring.īesuboru is played as if nobody wants to be the one to make a mistake. (Japan's great home-run hitter and the closest thing they have to a superstar) are exceptions to the rule. Japanese baseball enjoys this mano-a-mano aspect of the game as well, harkening as it does to the essential nature of samurai combat. It is set up for the larger-than-life confrontation between pitcher and batter, and how the team fares is almost secondary to the accomplishments of its heroes. ![]() The game has always been defined by its heroes - the Babe Ruths, Christy Mathewsons, Joe DiMaggios, and Willie Mayses. As the Japanese saying goes, "The nail that sticks up will be hammered down."Īmerican baseball thrives on the nails that stick up. Any individual activity that interrupts the smooth flow of Historically a clan- or family-based society, Japan has always demanded that the individual subordinate him- or herself to the group in order to maintain group harmony, or wa. Since there was no equivalent word for "sport" in the Japanese language, a new word was coined:īaseball expanded the notion of competition to include a vital aspect of Japanese society: the importance of the group. Athletic competition consisted of individual feats and one-on-one contests such as Sumo wrestling, kendo (fencing), horseback riding, and swimming, all extensions of military training. But look closer (and Robert Whiting did) and you'll see differences that reveal how the game has been adapted to Japanese culture.īefore the introduction of baseball, group sport didn't exist in Japan. (three strikes) and yer out at the old ball game. Nine innings, nine players a side, and it's "field ball") is similar to its American counterpart. If the Americans hadn't invented it, we would have." On the surface, Japanese baseball ( Japan has been baseball-crazy for over a hundred years.Īs one Japanese writer put it, "Baseball is perfect for us. Professional teams were instituted in 1935, and now every year twenty million fans faithfully troop out to the ballpark and cheer on the Yakult Swallows, the Taiyo Whales, the Nippon Ham Fighters, and the Hiroshima Carp, among others. The sport quickly caught the spirit of the Japanese people: by 1905, college baseball was Japan's number one sport. ![]() As Japan struggled to emerge from three centuries of feudal isolationism, Wilson taught his students at Tokyo's Kaisei Gakko the rudiments of his country's national pastime. And when two countries share a common sport, the differences are often more telling than the similarities.īaseball was introduced to Japan at the start of the Meiji Period (1867-1912) by Horace Wilson, a young American history and English teacher. Robert Whiting, in his book, You Gotta Have Wa, believes that sport can be a means to understanding subtle aspects of culture and national identity.
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