(Illustration by Yukiyo Oda/Stripes Okinawa)
Called “yakyu” (literally, field ball), baseball is one of the most popular games in Japan, despite not being the national sport. The history of baseball in Japan goes back to 1871, when foreigners living in Yokohama would play against crews of the USS Colorado at what is now Yokohama Stadium. Baseball then spread among Japanese through American teachers and residents, with the first professional baseball association being established in 1920.
(Illustration by Stripes Okinawa)
