Japanese Ex-Pro Baseball Pitcher Yuki Saito Building Ballpark for Kids in Hokkaido

Yomiuri Shimbun

4 days ago

NAGANUMA, Hokkaido (Jiji Press) — Yuki Saito, a former pitcher for the Japanese professional baseball team Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, is spearheading the construction of a new field dedicated to boys and girls in the town of Naganuma, Hokkaido.
Saito, 37, envisions the new field as a venue that will inspire the next generation of professional players. It will offer a scenic view of ES CON Field Hokkaido, the home stadium of the Fighters.
The field that Saito has helped to construct since August last year was unveiled to the media on May 5, coinciding with Children's Day. To mark the occasion, local baseball teams were invited to play a commemorative game.
Saito took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch, facing Hideki Kuriyama, the chief baseball officer of the Fighters, who stepped in as the hitter. Kuriyama, who managed the Fighters for most of Saito's career, is also renowned for nurturing Shohei Ohtani, now a two-way superstar with the Los Angeles Dodgers, during his tenure with the Fighters.
'I'm incredibly happy to see the children enjoying themselves so brightly and energetically,' Saito said.
'I think the main point is that he wants to create something tangible that children need,' Kuriyama said. 'There's nothing more important than that. In fact, I might be the one who's even more moved by this.'
Saito conducted an extensive search for the ideal ballpark location, focusing primarily on the Kanto region in eastern Japan. He visited more than 50 potential sites, including existing ballparks, mountainous areas and open fields.
Ultimately, the flat terrain of Naganuma proved to be the deciding factor. The site's history as a baseball field, used up until 20 years ago, also meant that the soil was well-suited for the purpose.
It is located near Kuri no Ki Farm, the little league field managed by Kuriyama, and ES CON Field Hokkaido.
'I happened to come across this plot of land by chance. I feel there's something destined about it,' Saito said.
The ballpark, named Harappa Stadium, features foul lines measuring 70 meters and a center field stretching 85 meters. The name 'Harappa' means 'field' or 'grassland' in Japanese, reflecting the stadium's open, welcoming atmosphere.
One of Saito's top priorities was the installation of a 1-meter-high outfield fence. Little league stadiums in Japan typically lack fences, so any ball hit past the outfielders can result in a home run.
'I hope Japanese children will experience the thrill of hitting home runs over the fence. I want them to play baseball freely and in a relaxed way,' he said.
After the commemorative game on May 5, he joined the children in painting the wooden fence together.
Saito started the project by personally cutting weeds and, with the help of local residents, preparing the site for games. His vision is to complete the ballpark by laying natural grass on both the infield and outfield, while planting trees around the perimeter. Looking ahead, Saito also dreams of building a lodging facility nearby.
'The experience of playing baseball in such a ballpark will be unforgettable [for young players],' Saito said. He hopes to transform the new field into an ideal ballpark for children.
Saito rose to prominence as a star pitcher at high school and university. As the ace of Waseda Jitsugyo high school in Tokyo, he led his team to championship glory at the 2006 national high school tournament at the Koshien Stadium. The final game became legendary for Saito's epic pitching duel against Masahiro Tanaka of Komadai Tomakomai high school from Hokkaido, who would later go on to throw in Major League Baseball.
Saito earned the affectionate nickname 'Handkerchief Prince' for his habit of using a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on the pitcher's mound during the sweltering August heat, a distinctive gesture that set him apart from other players, who typically used their uniform sleeves.