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Remembering Japanese Baseball: An Oral History of the Game
Historian Rob Fitts has written 6+ books about Japanese baseball, but it all started with this one. Inspired by the relative lack of written information about historical baseball figures in Japan, especially in the English language, Rob relays the tales that make up the unique character of the Japanese game. This book is an important one, and I recommend it for anyone that wants to take that next step in getting to know some of NPB’s legendary players – or just loves a great baseball story, because it’s full of them!
Rob Fitts appeared on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom call in 2020 – check out our recap of that episode here.
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Sayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card
Japanese art, from the beautiful woodprint waves of Hokusai to the modern anime films of Studio Ghibli, has long been globally revered. Any appreciator of art and baseball will see from this book why vintage Japanese baseball cards are among the most beautiful baseball collectibles in the world.
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The Chrysanthemum and the Bat by Robert Whiting (Personalized Signature fom the Author)
Acclaimed author Robert Whiting is best known for his bestseller You Gotta Have Wa!, published in 1989. And he burst back onto the Japanese baseball scene with 2004’s The Meaning of Ichiro. But it all started with The Chrysanthemum and the Bat: The Game Japanese Play.
We are working with Mr. Whiting to make this book available to you with a personalized messaged in your name (or whatever name you request) and signature from the author!
Whiting moved to Japan in 1962 and found that whenever he talked to his friends back in the U.S., they always wanted to hear more of his stories of Japanese baseball. Nothing about the country’s fascinating history of rulers, the rapid transformation of Tokyo, or the perfect balance between Buddhism and Shinto – just baseball. But Whiting found that baseball was actually the perfect vehicle to talk about Japan’s unique national character.
Motivated by a $500 bet that he wouldn’t write a book within a year (as explained to JapanBall’s “Chatter Up” audience in August 2021), Whiting compiled his observations of Japan’s culture- exemplified through baseball – into this wonderful book that TIME named its 1977 sports book of the year.
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The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave from Japan and the Transformation of Our National Pastime
I’m sure that many fans felt that Robert Whiting just had to write this book, and I’m sure glad that he did! In this unofficial sequel to You Gotta Have Wa, Whiting flips the script tells the fascinating stories of the trailblazing players that were part of the wave of Japanese players coming to MLB that started with Hideo Nomo in 1995. Whiting puts Nomo, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Irabu, Alfonso Soriano, and Hideki Matsui under the microscope, exploring each of their unique backgrounds and personalities and how they contributed to creating the star player you see on TV and in MLB stadiums.
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Through a Diamond: 100 Years of Japanese American Baseball
The history of Japanese American baseball is nearly as long as the history of the game itself. This book chronicles the many iterations of Japanese American baseball, starting at the turn of the century, when Japanese immigrants used baseball as a way to garner respect from – and feel a sense of inclusion with – their white American counterparts. Baseball became a community staple in America’s Japanese communities and then became a vehicle for survival in the Japanese American concentration camps of WWII.
Author Kerry Yo Nakagawa is the founder of the Nisei Baseball Research Project, which seeks to preserve the history of Japanese American baseball and educate about the Japanese American concentration camps during World War II. Kerry Yo was a special guest on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” in April 2021, and his episode was the most powerful in our series. You can watch the video on YouTube or read the recap here.
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Tokyo Junkie: 60 Years of Bright Lights and Back Alleys . . . and Baseball
40+ years after The Chrysanthemum and the Bat, which TIME Magazine named the best sports book of the year in 1977, and 30+ years after You Gotta Have Wa, an absolute must-read for any baseball fan, Robert Whiting is at it again. The original English-language written voice of Japanese baseball now has a lifetime’s worth of perspective, wisdom, and observations from straddling the American and Japanese cultures, and this book encapsulates it all.
Read our review of the book here.
As Whiting puts describes it in the book’s prologue, the “story is part Alice in Wonderland, part Bright Lights, Big City, and part Forrest Gump, among other things. It is a coming-of-age tale as well as an account of a decades-long journey into the heart of a city undergoing one of the most remarkable and sustained metamorphoses ever seen.”
Arriving in Tokyo in 1962, Whiting entered a metropolis that was on the cusp of bursting onto the world stage, most visibly via the 1964 Olympics. Since then, the city has flourished and grown almost exponentially in so many ways, but not without its share of dark secrets and growing pains.
Whiting’s unique perspective as a curious, thoroughly-adapted foreigner who also happens to be a critical observer and world-class writer makes him the perfect person to document the city’s modern history.
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Tokyo Yomiuri Giants Cartoon Logo Adjustable Hat
This cap is Japanese baseball in a nutshell – NPB’s most famous team, and an adorable team mascot. The rabbit is Giabyi, leader of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants’ family of rabbit mascots.
This hat is a great conversation starter at the ballpark, especially around San Francisco, which is full of SF Giants fans. It’s not uncommon for this hat to lead to a conversation about how cool Japanese baseball is!
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Travel Laundry Detergent
I take pride in packing light, but I couldn’t do so without these. Humid climates like those in Japan and the Dominican Republic make re-wearing clothes without washing them a disservice to your fellow travelers, but it’s often impractical to do laundry when we’re traveling up and down the country watching baseball games. These detergent packs let you do a small load of laundry in your hotel room’s sink or bathtub. Hang the wet clothes overnight, especially with the AC on, and you’ll be fresh and ready to sweat again in the morning.
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Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball
In a sea of baseball biographies, this one is a shimmering tropical fish! Rob Fitts certainly picked a good subject in Yonamine, the standout baseball and football player from Hawaii. The history of Japanese baseball couldn’t be told without Wally Yonamine, but his story is uniquely American too. I just wish that I could have seen Wally play in person!
Rob Fitts appeared on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom call in 2020 – check out our recap of that episode here.
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Worldwide AC Power Adapter + USB Charger
This worldwide AC adapter is an indispensable accessory for modern globetrotters and baseball tourists alike. This single adapter includes five plug types and works in 150 countries, including some of our favorite places for baseball tours like South Korea, Japan, Europe, and more!
Simply pack this all-in-one adapter for your trip and use it to charge phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, headphones, e-readers, and more. The two USB ports ensure that you can lighten your travel load by leaving bulky charging blocks at home and gives you the ability to charge multiple devices simultaneously.
I like the peace of mind knowing that I’ll be able to charge my devices anywhere in the world with this adapter. I keep it with my travel stuff, and it goes wherever I go!
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Yellow & Black Fever: Life, Love and Baseball in the Land of the Rising Sun (Two-Part Series)
I relate to this book in many ways, and I bet you will too! James McKnight, a longtime member of the JapanBall community, writes about his transformative experience at a Hanshin Tigers game during a vacation to Japan. After that game, James got caught up in the Japanese baseball experience, inspiring him to move to Japan and devote himself to cheering for the Tigers. The book is a genuine human story – not just a baseball story. It’s about loneliness and camaraderie, drifting and finding purpose, the challenges and rewards of living abroad, and much more.
Part 2 in the series: Bad Foreigner: More Stories of Life, Love & Baseball in Japan.
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You Gotta Have Wa
This is the book that really opened my eyes to the uniqueness of Japanese baseball. It is the definitive book on the subject in the English language; a must-read for anyone that wants to learn about the intricacies of the Japanese game. Acclaimed author Robert Whiting put it all in here, from the very beginning of Japanese baseball to the international powerhouse that it is today. The book’s most entertaining chapters are told through the wide-eyed – and often frustrated – perspective of gaijiin (foreign) ballplayers that played professionally in Japan.
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Hanshin Tigers Adjustable Twill Baseball Cap with Japan Flag
This ivory-colored, twill cap is an instant classic. It screams retro, which is appropriate since the Hanshin Tigers are one of Japan’s oldest teams. With it’s Japan flag patch and unique color scheme, it will certainly be a conversation starter at Koshien Stadium!
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Hiroshima Toyo Carp Retro Logo Beanie
I like this old-school Hiroshima Carp logo, which first appeared on official team jackets in 1970, because it combines the cool Japanese-style carp and a subtle baseball reference.
Made by American Needle, this beanie is premium quality and features a lofted embroidered throw-back logo of the Hiroshima Carp. Made from 100% acrylic, it’s super lightweight which means you’ll be looking and feeling great! It’s perfect for crisp evenings at the ballpark or out on the town. Regardless of where you’re wearing your new Toyo Carp retro beanie, it’ll be sure to become an instant favorite, and a bit of a head-turner as well!