Asian Studies

Baseball is a kind of sport played using a bat and ball between two teams comprised of nine players in each of the teams. The aim is to score runs done by striking a thrown ball using a bat and moving a chain of four bases set around the turns of a ninety-foot square. Players on the side of the batting team make turns while striking the pitcher of their opponent team, who try to block against scoring runs through getting hitters out. The team that wile have at the end of the game attained many runs will be the winning team.

In Japan, baseball was introduced in the year 1872. The pioneer of this sport was Horace Wilson, a teacher at a school in Tokyo. Baseball is known as yakyu in Japan, a word that combines the characters of both the field and the ball. It was adopted from the United States of America during the Meiji period (Donald, 1980).  Its first formal baseball team was established in the year 1878 and since then, this sport has grown to be the most popular sport throughout Japan.

Players of baseball in Japan cut across all age groups but mainly come from those in junior and senior high schools. However, majority of baseball teams are drawn from the universities and high schools. The final tournaments are aired through Japanese television channels and radio stations since this is a favorite sport for the Japanese. The professional baseball season normally runs from the months of April and October and there two major professional leagues, the Pacific and the Central leagues.

Despite the fact that baseball was an adopted sport from the United States, the Japanese have given it a deeper understanding and taken it to their homes and hearts, a factor, which has made them the contemporary world standard competitors. At first glance, Japanese baseball appears similar to baseball played in the United States, however, this is not so. The way the Japanese view cooperation, group identity, respect for age and seniority have been incorporated into virtually all aspects of this sport, and this is this is probably the reason why Japanese baseball is totally different from the United States baseball game. However, some people perceive this difference as exhilarating and captivating while others take it as demoralizing and infuriating (Hayford, 2006).

At the time of the Meiji restoration, Japanese government embraced the concept of modernization, which involved the adoption certain ideas from the West alongside other forms of entertainment and leisure, among them the baseball sport. As the Japanese were changing both socially and politically, they recognized baseball as a link to their past life and that baseball would put life to their ancient social practices and customs. They found out that the direct battle between the batter and the pitcher was similar to the psychology brought by their local martial and sumo arts. It provided a special harmony of physical and mental strength. Muscular spirituality was adopted by the baseball club, which promoted self discipline and autonomy among the team members. This is the major reason as to why baseball is considered a major sport in Japan.

Baseball in Japan is also considered as a language expressing various issues. All its events and records have some significance attached to them. For instance, when an individual speaks a language in a way that enables its listeners to get whatever he is speaking, we automatically suppose that the communicator understands all social connotations of each word he speaks. In the same way, baseball is meant to impart a deeper social connotation to its fans such that, if for example, a player is a 300 hitter, this has to explain something to the fans. Therefore, the way the Japanese understand baseball is not restricted to the field events alone but there is more to this sport. The clubhouse, spring training, contract negotiation and practice all have specific significance attached to them. The meanings attached to these practices not only represent the physical aspects of the society, but go beyond to represent some attitudes in the society.

Baseball in Japan has developed differently as compared to the American type. In America, baseball evolved from a different kind of game, rounders, which was an English game. The fully developed game was then transported to Japan, where most of its flavor has been maintained as compared to the American type, which has gone through several innovations. The Japanese are still holding to their past cultural attachments to this sport and every aspect of the game is intertwined with societys culture and that is why Japanese baseball is totally different from the American baseball.

Another important factor that makes baseball in Japan different from the American type is the difference in culture between the two countries. According to Japan, sport is a major component of the culture such that culture has to be incorporated in all forms of sports. Baseball became Japanized because of the cultures and social customs in the background, though the game rules are similar between the two countries. A good example is the Di Muro affair which was a field event and was converted to a cultural affair. To them sport is not just a field event but culture has to be incorporated into all aspects of sports. Besides, the Japanese have a general idea that the referees judgment is not final. This is in line with the Japanese customs, such that consultations have to be made before a final decision is reached at. Therefore, the referees have to come together and discuss over a certain issue and the final outcome is explained to the spectators.

However, a strict statistical study provides no clear picture of the events that take place outside the baseball field. But it clearly evident that Japanese baseball goes beyond the pennant race, box score or the corporate ties that American baseball is mainly concerned with. This has made it difficult to establish the real perception of the baseball sport outside the field, as in what does it really entail. But it is known that there are certain specific social and cultural customs that are attached to baseball in Japan.

The players in Japan are in America receive a higher pay than those in Japan. This is because players in Japan demand less money because they consider their team interests first before their individual wishes. There is also a big difference in the way the Japanese players live as compared to the American players. The Japanese players live in the dormitories and are given one month off each year. They are dedicated to their team activities wholly and team loyalty is a principle. On the other hand, their American counterparts play under contracts which are renewable and are given more frequent offs (Crepeau, 67-74).

With this highlights, it is quite important to conclude that there is a major distinction between the Japanese baseball and the American baseball. Soon after the Japanese adopted the sport, numerous cultural and social practices were attached to it. The Japanese actually made this event more cultural and have fought to preserve it unlike the American baseball that has undergone through several innovations. The various cultural aspects that have been attached to Japanese baseball explain why this important sport is very significant in the country. That despite the various processes of modernization the country has undergone, baseball has remained unchanged and it exists to remind the people of their ancient cultural practices and customs (Fred, 2006).  This is the reason why this sport is accorded greater respect and aired in various television channels and radio programs all over the country to remind the people of their culture. This is probably the reason as to why baseball in Japan is different from the American baseball.