Every two months, Hayama Chōji, who is the secretary of the Da Nang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an event company, and a promoter of baseball, will deliver reports on events held in Da Nang.
FB: shoji.arima
Former pro baseball players are coming to Incheon!
Hello everyone! Finally the day has arrived: the "Baseball Event in Da Nang 2026" hosted by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Da Nang! The guests we have invited this time are Takahashi Keiko (former Hiroshima East Japan Carps), Ishimami Wakihiko (former Hanshin Braves), and Yoshimura Hiroki (former Hanshin Tigers). To be honest, it's quite a luxury (laugh). On a budget, it's "sweat, sweat, sweat" (laugh).
By the way, Mr. Yoshimura also participated in the event in November 2023, so this is the second time (out of a total of three). It is truly a blessing! First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to the companies that agreed to support this event and to everyone who participated and provided support on the day.
Well, the first day featured a “Baseball Experience” for those who have never played baseball. The main reason for holding this event is to give children who have never played baseball the opportunity to experience it. In terms of the event itself, as well as by visiting the facility and having them experience baseball—and before that, throwing a small ball—we are able to increase the number of children who can throw well. In this sense, “this small step is a big step for the Vietnamese community in Da Nang” has become a reality recently. I am really feeling that right now. The interaction between the former professional players, the children, and those who came to support them was a very beautiful sight.
And in the evening, we held a talk show and a get-together for Japanese residents. Along with delicious food, stories from the former players' active days were shared, and it seems to have been a great memory for the attendees.
I was amazed by Yoshimura Yukiaki's swing!
On the second day, a "baseball clinic" was held for the Vietnamese baseball team. The teams participating were "Remaeus" and "HOPE" from Da Nang, and "Central Baseball Club" from Hue. For them, this has already become an annual tradition, and every time I think that they have grasped something, I work hard as the organizer.
The training content covered everything from catchball to defense, running, and hitting. Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Ishimine have been professional coaches for a long time, and there were subtle hints of depth in their instruction. And in the batting demonstration was Mr. Yoshimura Yuuki. He is still young at 41, so even just batting in the tee box is a great swing. Every swing seems to be explosive. The long tee shots are incredible in distance. It’s a true “Hama long-distance cannon.” The participants must have felt the professionalism of the coaches.
As the final event, we once again exchanged greetings with the children from the orphanage who came the day before. Stone Mihei and Yoshimura, who accompanied us, presented sweets they brought from Japan, food prepared by us, colored balls, colored bats, and T-shirts received from a souvenir shop in Danang, and interacted with the children using the balls and bats.
I would be more than happy if this experience, starting with toy bats and balls, would help them learn the basic movements of baseball. Not only through a baseball class, but also as an event with social contribution, I would like to continue this in the future!
