Using the life of Kenichi “Zeni” Zenimura, the godfather of Japanese American baseball, as the foundation, this 35-minute documentary captures the rich and overlooked history of Japanese American baseball. A must-watch for any baseball history buff who prides themselves on knowing the most influential characters in the game’s history, and for anyone with an interest in the Japanese experience in America. Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, famous for his role as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid series, narrates this informative and enlightening film.
This documentary was inspired by the work of the Nisei Baseball Research Project and its founder, Kerry Yo Nakagawa. 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.
