Japanese-style baseball

Not to be confused with Baseball in Japan.

Ball used in Japanese-style baseball (2006 version, left) and a typical leather (horsehide or cowhide) baseball (right)

Japanese-style baseball, or rubber-ball baseball, (Japanese: 軟式野球, romanized: Nanshiki yakyū, lit. 'soft baseball') is a game that was created in Japan and is derived from baseball. It uses a hard rubber ball instead of a regular baseball made of leather. It has been rendered in English in a variety of ways, including nankyu baseball (nankyu means 'soft ball' in Japanese), nanshiki baseball and rubber baseball.

In a narrow sense, Japanese-style baseball is a game that uses a hollow rubber ball, and in a broad sense, it includes a semi-hard baseball where a hard ball's outer coating is replaced with rubber. In contrast, the ball used in softball is most often leather but is larger than a regular baseball.

Other than the use of a different ball, the rules of Japanese-style baseball and regular baseball are the same. However, the difference in the ball has a distinctive effect on the playing style and equipment, and also changes the way the players use their body.[1]

It is played by both children and adults, men and women.

## History

[edit]

Ground in Meiji Shrine Outer Garden, Tokyo, where Japanese-style baseball is played

During the Meiji era (1868–1912), baseball introduced from the United States became established in Japan in national competitions for secondary schools, high schools, and colleges, and children enjoyed playing baseball using hard tennis balls. However, tennis balls had the drawback of being difficult to use due to problems with their durability and speed, and the number of people playing the sport gradually declined.

In 1919, Toshin Rubber, a company based in Kobe, sold the world's first rubber baseball.

In July 1919, at Kyoto Municipal Seitoku Elementary School (currently called Kyoto Culture Association (京都文化協会, Kyōto bunka kyōkai)) in Shimogyo-ku in the city of Kyoto, a Japanese-style baseball tournament was held for the first time in the world. There is a bronze statue in Takaragaike Park Youth Sports Park (宝が池公園 少年スポーツ広場, Takaragaike kōen shōnen supōtsu hiroba) in Kyoto, marking it as the birthplace of nanshiki baseball.

This triggered an increase in the population of young people playing baseball again, and the following year, in 1920, the Japan Association of Youth Baseball (大日本少年野球協会, Dai-nippon shōnen yakyū-kyōkai) was established in Kobe, and a full-fledged national tournament of youth baseball was held.

The ball for general use in Japanese-style baseball was first sold in 1922. At that time, a man named Sakae Suzuka (鈴鹿 栄, Suzuka Sakae), the inventor of the ball used in Japanese-style baseball, named it the "softball" (nanshiki bōru), and the baseball played with this ball "softball baseball" (nanshiki yakyū).

Later in 1925, a man called Haruno Yokoi (横井 春野, Yokoi Haruno) formed a youth baseball association in Tokyo.

## Ball types

[edit]

A K-Ball, developed in 2000 with the aim of facilitating a smooth transition from Japanese-style baseball to regular baseball at high school. Its size and weight are the same as a hardball but its structure is the same as a Japanese-style baseball ball (rubber and hollow).

The ball has undergone a number of revisions, but the current dimensions were set out in December 2016 by the Japan Rubber Baseball Association (公益財団法人全日本軟式野球連盟) and the Baseball Ball Manufacturers Association (野球ボール工業会).

Two types are specified: type M (major) and type J (junior). Type M has a diameter of 71.5–72.5 millimetres (2.81–2.85 in). Meanwhile, type J has a diameter of 68.5–69.5 millimetres (2.70–2.74 in).[2]

In comparison, a regulation leather baseball is 73–75 millimetres (2.9–3.0 in) in diameter. An 11-inch ball used in softball has a diameter of about 89 millimetres (3.5 in).[3]

## Bat types

[edit]

Nanshiki baseball bat made of super duralumin

Metal and wooden bats are used in regular (hard) baseball; however, the bats used in Japanese-style baseball are metal or carbon ones that can handle rubber balls.

## Major competitions in Japan

[edit]

58th National High School Nanshiki Baseball Championship (2013)

A large number of competitions are played in Japan, including:

General public

* All Japan Baseball Tournament (Men's Tournament)
* Emperor's Cup All-Japan Baseball Tournament
* Takamatsu Miyagi Cup All-Japan Baseball Tournament (Division 1, Division 2)
* All-Japan Women's Nanshiki Championship (organized by the All-Japan Women's Nanshiki Federation, general women's baseball)
* National Sports Festival (Men's Competition)

College students

* All Japan University Baseball Championship (Spring)
* All Japan University Women's Nanshiki Baseball Championship

Vocational school students

* All Japan Vocational School Nanshiki Championship

High school students

* All Japan High School Baseball Championship (organized by the Japan High School Baseball Federation)

## Global popularity

[edit]

Night game in progress in Osaka

Cuba has a game that is somewhat akin to Japanese-style baseball called cuatro esquinas, and baseball similar to nanshiki baseball is also played in Taiwan.

Japanese-style baseball is often played by university teams,[4] and there is a World University Japanese-style Baseball Tournament (Japanese: 世界大学軟式野球大会, romanized: Sekai daigaku nanshiki yakyū taikai) that sometimes is held in Japan and sometimes in places such as the United States, Guam and Taiwan. It was held in Guam in 2019 and most recently, in Taiwan in 2024.[5]

In addition, the International Boys Nankyu Baseball World Championship (Japanese: 少年軟式野球世界大会, romanized: Shōnen nanshiki yakyū sekai taikai), an international tourney for players under the age of 12, takes place annually. Organized by the International Boys Nankyu Baseball Association Japan, it is held in Tokyo, Japan, usually in July. Recent tournaments have been held in Edogawa Baseball Stadium.[6] In 2023, a total of 12 teams participated; four from Japan, two from the Philippines, and one each from Australia, Brazil, China, Paraguay, Singapore, and Taiwan.

## International Boys Nankyu Baseball World Championship

[edit]

Month/Year | Series | Venue | Winner

|
|
|

Aug 1983  | 1st  | Tachikawa, Tokyo  | Chinese Taipei (1)
Aug 1984  | 2nd  |  | Philippines
Aug 1985  | 3rd  |  | Chinese Taipei (2)
Aug 1986  | 4th  | Shinjuku, Tokyo  | China (1)
Aug 1987  | 5th  |  | Chinese Taipei (3)
Aug 1988  | 6th  |  | Chinese Taipei (4)
Aug 1989  | 7th  | Bunkyo, Tokyo  | China (2)
Jul 1990  | 8th  | Edogawa, Tokyo  | Brazil
Jul 1991  | 9th  |  | China (3)
Jul 1992  | 10th  |  | Chinese Taipei (5)[7]
Jul 1993  | 11th  |  | China (4)
Jul 1994  | 12th  |  | Japan (1)
Jul 1995  | 13th  |  | Japan (2)
Jul 1996  | 14th  |  | China (5)
Jul 1997  | 15th  |  | China (6)
Jul 1998  | 16th  |  | Mexico (1)
Jul 1999  | 17th  |  | China (7)
Jul 2000  | 18th  |  | Chinese Taipei (6)
Jul 2001  | 19th  | Edogawa  | Chinese Taipei (7)
Jul 2002  | 20th  | Edogawa  | Mexico (2)
Jul 2003  | 21st  | Edogawa  | Mexico (3)
Jul 2004  | 22nd  | Edogawa  | Mexico (4)
Jul 2005  | 23rd  | Edogawa  | Mexico (5)
Jul 2006  | 24th  | Edogawa  | Chinese Taipei (8)
Jul 2007  | 25th  | Edogawa  | Mexico (6)
Jul 2008  | 26th  | Edogawa  | Chinese Taipei (9)
Jul 2009  | 27th  | Edogawa  | Japan (3)
Jul 2010  | 28th  | Edogawa  | China (8)[8]
Jul 2011  | 29th  | Event Cancelled (Great East Japan Earthquake)
Jul 2012  | 30th  | Edogawa  | Chinese Taipei (10)
Jul 2013  | 31st  | Edogawa  | Japan (4)
Jul 2014  | 32nd  | Edogawa  | Japan (5)
Jul 2015  | 33rd  | Edogawa  | Japan (6)
Jul 2016  | 34th  | Edogawa  | Chinese Taipei (11) [9]
Jul 2017  | 35th  | Edogawa  | Japan (7)
Jul 2018  | 36th  | Edogawa  | Japan (8)
Jul 2019  | 37th  | Misato, Saitama  | Chinese Taipei (12) [10]
Jul 2020  | 38th  | Event Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
Jul 2021  | 39th  | Event Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
Jul 2022  | 40th  | Event Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
Jul 2023  | 41st  | Edogawa  | Japan (9)[11]
Jul 2024  | 42nd  | Edogawa  | Chinese Taipei (13)

## Roll of honour

[edit]

Shown in alphabetical order in the event of a tie.

Champion | Wins

|

Chinese Taipei  | 13
Japan  | 9
China  | 8
Mexico  | 6
Brazil  | 1
Philippines  | 1

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 軟式野球と硬式野球の違いって？ SPOLABO's webpage (in Japanese)
2. ^ ハートの新球、5つの秘密 Jiji Press Ltd.'s webpage (in Japanese)
3. ^ The Long History of Various Softball Sizes Decker Sports' webpage
4. ^ What's New Japan University Nanshiki Baseball Federation webpage (in Japanese)
5. ^ "International Cup". junbf.jp. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
6. ^ Taiwan snags 12th IBA-Boys baseball championship in Japan Focus Taiwan webpage
7. ^ "世界少年軟式棒球錦標賽". twbsball.dils.tku.edu.tw. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
8. ^ "China Won Title at the 28th Boys Nankyu World Championship". prnewswire.com. August 9, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
9. ^ "Taiwan wins boys soft baseball world championship". focustaiwan.tw. August 1, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
10. ^ "Taiwan snags 12th IBA-Boys baseball championship in Japan". focustaiwan.tw. July 29, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
11. ^ "Seleção Brasileira no 41° Boys Nankyu Baseball World Championship (Mundial Nanshiki Sub12) – 2023". cbbs.com.br. Retrieved April 21, 2025.

* Japan Rubber Baseball Association's webpage

## External links

[edit]

* Sports Nippon Newspapers article
* Tokyo Nanshiki Baseball Association's webpage

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Baseball in Japan

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|

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Related articles|

* Gyroball
* Shuuto
* Japan–South Korea baseball rivalry
* Major League Baseball players from Japan
* Comparison of MLB and NPB

* Japanese-style baseball

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