Sep. 10, ’01
The topic of the
Japanese baseball player has been in the newspapers a lot lately. Although it
seems there was a great difference between American and Japanese baseball, age
ago, a Japanese player has become the leading hitter in American major league,
now. It is very exciting for me, because I live in U.S. fortunately. However,
it is the fact that the Japanese baseball falls in popularity. It seems that
the Japanese baseball attains a high level in so much that a few players turn
up who participate actively in American major league, but why does Japanese
baseball lose its popularity?
One of the most probable reasons is that
the popular and preeminent players are transferred to the American major
league. We can guess that to play in America which is the home of baseball is
more exciting and charming thing than to play in Japan which is their homeland.
And it seems to be related to their generation. Most of Japanese who are decade
ago generation, they used to feel their role and responsibility too much and wilt
under pressure when they are in the spotlight. An existing generation can grant
American’s way of thinking such as baseball is just fun for players but the
players are all professional, in spite of under the situation which they are
strangers in foreign country. I would think this is such dramatic change from
Japanese way of thinking to American one.
Another reason would be
thought that the Japanese baseball itself is lost its appeal. The Baseball
seems to be made slow progress because of the popularity of speedy (non-stop)
sports on the lines of soccer and rugby football. On the side, the baseball
program of Japanese TV is only two hours, so the program is cut after that. It
makes the fans very disappointed. The fans have to stop cheering without
watching it to the end.
Thus the Japanese
baseball world needs to carry out various reforms. However, it is also the fact
that some Japanese players take an active part and rise in popularity in America
at the same time. This really makes me excited, because we who study here also
try to make a good job of our activities and to take an active part in America
with a little bit of luck. In America, even if he is an unknown Japanese, he
can become a hero at a bound, if he achieves satisfactory results. People who
have the opportunity that live in a different culture should learn the cultural
differences of the countries positively and keep on getting plus factors. I
would like to absorb a lot of good thing
from foreign culture without losing my originality.