Japanese baseball

Part of the History of baseball series.

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Baseball has been a popular sport in Japan for over a century since its introduction in 1872. It is called 野球 (やきゅう; yakyū) in Japanese, combining the characters for field and ball.

Related Topics:
Baseball - Japan - 1872 - Japanese

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It is played at all age levels but most widely in junior high schools and senior high schools. Two tournaments are held in March and August for senior high school teams that win a prefectural tournament. The location of the tournaments is Koshien Stadium.

Related Topics:
Two tournaments - Koshien Stadium

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The highest level of competition is the professional league, started in 1920. It is called Puro Yakyū (プロ野球), meaning Professional Baseball.

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Players from the Japanese leagues who have gone on to success in Major League Baseball in the United States include Hideo Nomo, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Ichiro Suzuki, and Hideki Matsui.

Related Topics:
Major League Baseball - United States - Hideo Nomo - Kazuhiro Sasaki - Ichiro Suzuki - Hideki Matsui

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