Hitoki Iwase (岩瀬 仁紀, born November 10, 1974) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon…
Hitoki Iwase (岩瀬 仁紀, born November 10, 1974) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 1999 to 2018 for the Chunichi Dragons. He holds the NPB record for career saves and mound appearances. In 2005, he marked 46 saves with a 1.88 ERA, renewing the single-season save record previously set by Kazuhiro Sasaki. This was subsequently broken by Dennis Sarfate of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2017. He was chosen to play on the Japanese Olympic baseball team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, and won a bronze medal. In the 2007 Japan Series, he saved a perfect game with eight innings thrown by Daisuke Yamai. In 2008, he was selected to play on the Japanese Olympic baseball team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In group stage against South Korean Olympic baseball team, his pitch was hit by Kim Hyunsoo, which resulted in a loss. In the semifinal round against the South Korean team, his pitch was hit by Lee Seung-Yeop, leading to a two-run homerun. This again led to another loss. His overall performance in the 2008 Summer Olympics included three defeats and an ERA of 13.75. On 16 January 2025, Iwase was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
Famous People from Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture: 76 people
Ichiro Suzuki ( EE-chirr-oh; Japanese: 鈴木 一朗, romanized: Suzuki Ichirō, IPA: [sɯzɯki itɕiɾoː]; born October 22, 1973)…
Ichiro Suzuki ( EE-chirr-oh; Japanese: 鈴木 一朗, romanized: Suzuki Ichirō, IPA: [sɯzɯki itɕiɾoː]; born October 22, 1973), also known mononymously as Ichiro (イチロー, Ichirō), is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played for 28 seasons. He played the first nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the next 12 years with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Suzuki then played two and a half seasons with the New York Yankees and three with the Miami Marlins before returning to the Mariners for his final two seasons. He won two World Baseball Classic titles with the Japan national team. One of the greatest contact hitters, leadoff hitters, and defensive outfielders in baseball history, he is also considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In his combined playing time in the NPB and MLB, Suzuki received 17 consecutive selections as an All-Star and Gold Glove winner, won nine league batting titles, and was named his league's most valuable player (MVP) four times. In NPB, he won seven consecutive batting titles and three consecutive Pacific League MVP Awards. In 2001, Suzuki became the first Japanese-born position player to be posted and signed to an MLB club. He led the American League (AL) in batting average and stolen bases en route to being named AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP. Suzuki was the first MLB player to enter the Meikyukai (The Golden Players Club). He was a ten-time MLB All-Star and won the 2007 All-Star Game MVP Award for a three-hit performance that included the event's first-ever inside-the-park home run. Suzuki won a Gold Glove Award in each of his first 10 years in the majors and had an AL-record seven hitting streaks of 20 or more games, with a high of 27. He was also noted for the longevity of his career, continuing to produce at a high level with an on-base percentage above .300 in 2016, while approaching 43 years of age. Suzuki also set a number of batting records, including MLB's single-season record for hits with 262. He had 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons, the longest streak by any player in MLB history. In 2016, Suzuki notched the 3,000th hit of his MLB career, becoming the 30th player ever to do so. In total, he finished with 4,367 hits in his professional career across Japan and the United States, the most of any player in history at the top level of baseball. Since retiring as a player in 2019, he became the Mariners' special assistant to the chairman. In 2025, Suzuki was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He became the first Japanese player and first Asian-born player to be elected into the Hall of Fame, receiving 99.7% of the vote, tied with Derek Jeter for the second-highest percentage ever. That same year, Suzuki was also elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. That August, the Mariners retired Suzuki's number 51.
Hiroyuki Takagi (高木 浩之, born October 14, 1972) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Atsunori Inaba (稲葉 篤紀, born August 3, 1972) is a Japanese professional baseball manager, coach and former player. He…
Atsunori Inaba (稲葉 篤紀, born August 3, 1972) is a Japanese professional baseball manager, coach and former player. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Japan Series. He is currently the general manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League. As a player, he won the Japan Series MVP in 2006 and the Fighting Spirit Award in 2012. He is one of just eight players to win both Japan Series awards alongside Hiromichi Ishige, Hiroshi Oshita, Hisashi Yamada, Isao Shibata, Joe Stanka, Kazuhisa Inao, and Takashi Nishimoto. After the retirement, he became Japan national baseball team at the 2013 exhibition game against Chinese Taipei, 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series, 2015 exhibition game against All Euro, 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2016 exhibition game against Chinese Taipei, 2016 exhibition game against Mexico and Netherlands, 2017 exhibition game against CPBL All-Stars, and 2017 World Baseball Classic. On July 31, 2017, he became Japan national baseball team manager. He managed at the 2017 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, 2018 exhibition game against Australia, 2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup and 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.
Tomoko Watanabe (渡辺伴子, Watanabe Tomoko; born 14 April 1971) is a Japanese softball player. She competed in the women's…
Tomoko Watanabe (渡辺伴子, Watanabe Tomoko; born 14 April 1971) is a Japanese softball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Ryuji Kimura (木村 龍治, Kimura Ryūji; born September 1, 1970 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon…
Ryuji Kimura (木村 龍治, Kimura Ryūji; born September 1, 1970 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.
Yoshifumi Ayukawa (鮎川 義文, Ayukawa Yoshifumi; born April 2, 1970 in Aichi, Japan) is a retired Nippon Professional…
Yoshifumi Ayukawa (鮎川 義文, Ayukawa Yoshifumi; born April 2, 1970 in Aichi, Japan) is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played for the Hanshin Tigers and the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Kōji Gotō (後藤 孝志, Gotō Kōji; born May 14, 1969) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder.
Hideo Koike (小池 秀郎, Koike Hideo; born June 30, 1969) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.
Takeshi Yamasaki (山﨑 武司, Yamasaki Takeshi; born November 7, 1968, in Chita, Aichi, Japan) is a retired Japanese…
Takeshi Yamasaki (山﨑 武司, Yamasaki Takeshi; born November 7, 1968, in Chita, Aichi, Japan) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player. During his 24 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, he played for the Chunichi Dragons, the Orix BlueWave, and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Shinichi Kondō (近藤 真市, Kondō Shin'ichi; born September 8, 1968 in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture) is a former Japanese…
Shinichi Kondō (近藤 真市, Kondō Shin'ichi; born September 8, 1968 in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture) is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher who played for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He has been a pitching coach for the Dragons since 2003. Kondō had a shortened career due to a consistent arm injury that forced him into early retirement. On 8 August 1987, Kondō became the first player in Japanese baseball history to throw a no-hitter on debut in a 6-0 victory over the Yomiuri Giants. He is the father of former Dragons outfielder, Hiroki Kondō.
Shuji Yoshida (吉田 修司, Yoshida Shūji; born November 29, 1966) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher and…
Shuji Yoshida (吉田 修司, Yoshida Shūji; born November 29, 1966) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher and coach. He was a member of the Japan national baseball team that won the silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Toshiya Adachi (安達 俊也, Adachi Toshiya; born June 12, 1965) is a retired Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player…
Toshiya Adachi (安達 俊也, Adachi Toshiya; born June 12, 1965) is a retired Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player with the Kintetsu Buffaloes.
Hiromi Makihara (槙原 寛己, Makihara Hiromi) (born August 11, 1963) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball…
Hiromi Makihara (槙原 寛己, Makihara Hiromi) (born August 11, 1963) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He was a six-time Central League All-Star, won Rookie of the Year honors, and pitched a perfect game in a 19-year career with the Yomiuri Giants.
Kimiyasu Kudo (工藤 公康, Kudō Kimiyasu; born May 5, 1963) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, former…
Kimiyasu Kudo (工藤 公康, Kudō Kimiyasu; born May 5, 1963) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, former manager of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and current manager of the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball. Known for his longevity as a player, he holds the NPB records for longest career with 29 seasons played, most consecutive seasons with at least one win with 23 and is the oldest pitcher to strike out 10 batters in a game, doing so at the age of 41 years and 11 months. In his career, he recorded 224 wins, a 3.45 ERA and 2,859 strike outs. However, despite all his accolades, he is famously known for having never won the Eiji Sawamura Award, given to Japan's top pitcher. Kudo has been a part of 16 Japan Series championships, 11 as a player and 5 as a manager. As a player, he was a member of the Seibu Lions Golden Age, winning 8 championships in 11 years, and won one championship with Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and two with Yomiuri Giants. As a manager, he led the Hawks to five Japan Series championships in six years, winning in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Kudo has won the Matsutaro Shoriki Award, given annually to the person who is deemed to have contributed the most to baseball in Japan, 4 times, once as a player in 1987 and 3 times as a manager in 2015, 2018 and 2019. He was also known as the last active player on the Lions from the "Invincible Seibu" era. Kudo was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. For the English spelling of his last name, "Kudo" and "Kudoh" are used regularly and interchangeably. Technically, both are correct as there is no straight letter-for-letter translation because it is a series of Japanese characters. His preference for the spelling on the back of his uniform was "Kudoh" as a player and "Kudo" as a manager.
Kazuhiro Yamakura (山倉 和博, born September 2, 1955) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He spent his…
Kazuhiro Yamakura (山倉 和博, born September 2, 1955) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He spent his entire 13-year playing career with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the 1987 Central League MVP.
Tadashi Sugiura (杉浦 忠, Sugiura Tadashi; September 17, 1935 – November 11, 2001) was a Japanese Nippon Professional…
Tadashi Sugiura (杉浦 忠, Sugiura Tadashi; September 17, 1935 – November 11, 2001) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player with the Nankai Hawks. He debuted in the 1958 and went on to join the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame for his skills as a pitcher. He won the Japanese Triple Crown in (1959)
Masaichi Kaneda (金田 正一, Kaneda Masaichi; 1 August 1933 – 6 October 2019) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher…
Masaichi Kaneda (金田 正一, Kaneda Masaichi; 1 August 1933 – 6 October 2019) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher of Zainichi Korean origin, one of the best-known pitchers in Japanese baseball history, and is the only Japanese pitcher to have won 400 games. He was inducted in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. Nicknamed "The Emperor" because he was the most dominant pitcher in Japan during his prime, Kaneda holds numerous Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career records. He won 400 games despite being on an extremely weak team, the Kokutetsu Swallows, for most of his career. About 90% of his 400 career wins came with the Swallows. He left for the Yomiuri Giants in 1965. In five seasons with the team, he won the Japan Series each time before retiring in 1969. Kaneda batted and threw left-handed. After his playing career ended, he became a manager for the Lotte Orions, where he managed in two different stints that saw him win the Japan Series in 1974.
Kazuhiro Yamauchi (山内 一弘, Yamauchi Kazuhiro; May 1, 1932 – February 2, 2009) was a Japanese baseball player and…
Kazuhiro Yamauchi (山内 一弘, Yamauchi Kazuhiro; May 1, 1932 – February 2, 2009) was a Japanese baseball player and manager. He played for the Mainichi Orions, the Hanshin Tigers and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp over the span of an 18 season-long career (1952–1970). Yamauchi was the first Japanese professional baseball player to hit 300 home runs, achieving that feat on July 4, 1963. Some of his career stats include 7,702 at bats, 1,218 runs, 2,271 hits, 396 home runs, 1,286 runs batted in, 118 stolen bases, 1,061 walks, and a batting average of .292. After retiring as a player in 1970, he went on to become an NPB manager and coach for nearly 30 years. He was a founding member of the Meikyukai ("The Golden Players Club") in 1978, and was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. Yamauchi died of liver failure in a Tokyo hospital on February 2, 2009. He was 76.
Sadao Kondoh (近藤 貞雄, Kondoh Sadao; October 2, 1925 – January 2, 2006) was a former professional baseball pitcher and…
Sadao Kondoh (近藤 貞雄, Kondoh Sadao; October 2, 1925 – January 2, 2006) was a former professional baseball pitcher and manager in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Nobuo Oshima (大島 信雄, Ōshima Nobuo; October 2, 1921 – January 8, 2005) was a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for…
Nobuo Oshima (大島 信雄, Ōshima Nobuo; October 2, 1921 – January 8, 2005) was a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for Shochiku Robins and the Chunchi Dragons. His professional career record was 64 wins and 41 losses. In 1940, he pitched shutouts in all 4 games at the Senbatsu Baseball Tournament, helping Gifu Prefectural Commercial High School win. He attended Keio University.
Tsuguhiro Hattori (服部 受弘; February 23, 1920 – December 6, 1991) was a prominent Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball…
Tsuguhiro Hattori (服部 受弘; February 23, 1920 – December 6, 1991) was a prominent Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player who excelled as a pitcher and was the first Chunichi Dragons pitcher to reach 100 wins. He played with the Dragons franchise his entire career. His number 10 jersey is one of only two retired by the team.
Jirō Noguchi (野口二郎, Noguchi Jirō) (January 6, 1920 – May 21, 2007) was a Japanese baseball pitcher and…
Jirō Noguchi (野口二郎, Noguchi Jirō) (January 6, 1920 – May 21, 2007) was a Japanese baseball pitcher and outfielder/infielder who played 13 seasons in the Japanese Baseball League and then Nippon Professional Baseball, from 1939 to 1952. A two-way player who really excelled at pitching, Noguchi was a six-time 20-game winner, a three-time 30-game winner, and once won 40 games in a season. His 1.96 career earned run average is second all-time. As a batter, Noguchi had a 31-game hitting streak, a Japanese professional baseball record which stood for 25 years. He was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Noguchi was one of four brothers who played professional baseball in Japan.
Akira Noguchi (野口明, Noguchi Akira) (August 6, 1917 – October 5, 1996) was a Japanese baseball pitcher, infielder…
Akira Noguchi (野口明, Noguchi Akira) (August 6, 1917 – October 5, 1996) was a Japanese baseball pitcher, infielder, catcher, and manager who played 15 total seasons in the Japanese Baseball League and then Nippon Professional Baseball, during the period 1936 to 1955. The rare two-way player, Noguchi was particularly unusual in that he excelled in the specialized positions of both pitcher and catcher. A four-time All-Star and a two-time Best Nine Award-winner, Noguchi was the eldest of four brothers who played professional baseball in Japan.
Masao Yoshida (吉田 正男, Yoshida Masao; April 14, 1914 – May 23, 1996) was a Japanese amateur pitcher originally from…
Masao Yoshida (吉田 正男, Yoshida Masao; April 14, 1914 – May 23, 1996) was a Japanese amateur pitcher originally from Ichinomiya, Aichi. He had 23 wins at Spring and Summer Koshien. In the National High School Baseball Championship between 1931 and 1933, he won 14 consecutive games at Koshien Stadium and he became the only pitcher to win three consecutive championships.
Takuya Asao (浅尾 拓也, Asao Takuya; born October 22, 1984 in Chita, Aichi) is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball…
Takuya Asao (浅尾 拓也, Asao Takuya; born October 22, 1984 in Chita, Aichi) is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He spent his entire career at the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Central League where he captured the Central League MVP award in 2011.