Shota Ishimine (伊志嶺 翔大, born May 12, 1988) is a professional baseball outfielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the…Shota Ishimine (伊志嶺 翔大, born May 12, 1988) is a professional baseball outfielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Nippon Professional Baseball. Ishimine attended Tokai University. He competed for the Japanese national baseball team in the 2010 World University Baseball Championship, being named an All-Tournament outfielder, along with Mikie Mahtook and Yoenis Céspedes.
Hideki Irabu (伊良部 秀輝, Irabu Hideki; 5 May 1969 – 27 July 2011) was a Japanese professional baseball player. He played…Hideki Irabu (伊良部 秀輝, Irabu Hideki; 5 May 1969 – 27 July 2011) was a Japanese professional baseball player. He played professionally in both Japan and North America. Irabu played for the Lotte Orions / Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and for the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Irabu debuted in NPB in 1988 and played for the Marines through the 1996 season. Desiring to play in MLB, the Marines sold Irabu's contract to the San Diego Padres, with whom they had a working arrangement, despite Irabu's desire to play for the Yankees. When Irabu refused to play for San Diego, they traded him to the Yankees, and the aftermath of the deal led to the development of the posting system. Irabu was a member of the Yankees' World Series-winning teams in 1998 and 1999, becoming the first Japanese-born player to win a World Series. Irabu pitched in the major leagues through 2002 and returned to Japan with the Tigers in 2003 and retired after the 2004 season. Irabu died by suicide in 2011.
Masanobu Kikukawa (喜久川 政信) is a Japanese martial artist and chairman of the Shorin-ryu Shinkokai style of Okinawan…Masanobu Kikukawa (喜久川 政信) is a Japanese martial artist and chairman of the Shorin-ryu Shinkokai style of Okinawan Karate. Kikukawa was a longtime student of Sokuichi Gibu-hanshi (or "Grand Master Sokuichi Gibu") and Seiki Toma-hanshi. After withdrawal from Gibu's association in 1985, Kikukawa co-founded the Shinkokai association along with colleague Tatsunori Azuma in 1985. In the early 1990s, Kikukawa emigrated to Victoria, British Columbia where he founded the Canadian division of the Shinkokai association, while Tatunori Azuma(東辰徳 1952~2012) continued representing the organization in Okinawa. Kikukawa opened an acupuncture clinic in Surrey; he works with a group of family practitioners in Victoria.