Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. The pennant race in Japan started on March 30. The Softbank Hawks in Fukuoka, the champion team in 2011, had a good start with 3 wins in a row! Today’s topic is baseball in Japan.
Baseball has been the most popular sport in Japan since it was introduced by an American schoolteacher in 1871. In those days, players wore loincloths or hakama, formal Japanese skirts, instead of uniforms. Prior to the advent of the professional game in 1934, there wre tournaments between six universities, as well as all-Japan high school baseball tournaments. Now there are two professional leagues, the Central and the Pacific League, consisting of six teams each. The winners in each league compete against each other in the Japan Series at the end of the season.

Softbank Hawks Official Website

April 3rd News, from NILS Japanese language school.