Takuya Kimura (木村 拓也, Kimura Takuya; April 15, 1972 – April 7, 2010) was a Japanese baseball player for the Yomiuri…
Takuya Kimura (木村 拓也, Kimura Takuya; April 15, 1972 – April 7, 2010) was a Japanese baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants. He previously played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp before being traded to the Giants in 2006. He played for the Giants through the 2009 season before retiring as a player, returning to the Giants for 2010 in a coaching capacity. Kimura was born in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan. He joined the Nippon-Ham Fighters from outside the amateur draft in 1990 after graduating from high school, and went on to become the leading utility player in Japanese baseball. His solid hitting, speed, and strong arm made him a valuable offensive and defensive player. He played games at every single position except pitcher, catching four games in the 1999 season. He played first base for one game in 1998. He was registered as an outfielder, but played more games in the infield in recent years. In 2004, he was recruited for the Athens Olympics for his skills as a utility player. He had the same name as Takuya Kimura of the popular Japanese pop group, SMAP. He once made an appearance on the television show SMAP×SMAP, hosted by his namesake. On April 2, 2010, at Hiroshima's Mazda Stadium preceding a game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Kimura was hitting practice knocks to infielders when he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital in a coma. He was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage and died in Hiroshima, Japan, on April 7, 2010. He died at age 37.
Famous Alumni of Sakai High School
Sakai High School: 5 people
Shigeru Sakurai (桜井 繁, Sakurai Shigeru; born June 29, 1979) is a former Japanese football player.
Hiroshi Noguchi (野口 裕司, Noguchi Hiroshi; born February 25, 1972) is a former Japanese football player.
Mikio Manaka (眞中 幹夫, Manaka Mikio; born May 22, 1969) is a Japanese former footballer. His younger brother Yasuo Manaka…
Mikio Manaka (眞中 幹夫, Manaka Mikio; born May 22, 1969) is a Japanese former footballer. His younger brother Yasuo Manaka is also a former footballer.
Hiroshi Tomihari (富張 広司, Tomihari Hiroshi; born 1936, Ibaraki Prefecture) is a Japanese artist specializing in modern…
Hiroshi Tomihari (富張 広司, Tomihari Hiroshi; born 1936, Ibaraki Prefecture) is a Japanese artist specializing in modern moku hanga woodblock prints. He turned to the medium in 1959, about two years after his graduation from Ibaraki University. He has since had numerous exhibitions in Japan, the U.S., and Australia. In 1978–79, the Japanese Ministry of Culture sent him to the U.S. as a delegate artist.