YAKYU
1. Who introduced baseball to Japan, and what was the initial name given to the game by
Japanese students?
2. How did Japanese leaders relate baseball to their own culture, and why did they
embrace the sport?
3. What contributed to the popularity of college baseball in Japan, and how does it
compare to college sports in the United States?
4. How did American teams influence the popularity of baseball in Japan in the early
1900s?
5. What role did World War II play in interrupting Japanese baseball, and how did the
United States contribute to the sport's revival after the war?
6. What legendary player contributed to the Yomiuri Giants' success from 1965 through
1973, and what record does he hold in the world of baseball?
7. Name two Japanese players mentioned in the story who have played in Major League
Baseball in the United States, and highlight one significant achievement of each.
8. In what ways did the occupation of Japan by the United States after World War II impact
the continuation of professional baseball in the country?
9. How did television contribute to the growth of professional baseball in Japan in the
1950s?
10. Analyze the significance of baseball in both Japanese and American cultures based on
the information provided in the story, how will you explain it?
1. Answer: Horace Wilson introduced baseball to Japan, and the initial name given to the
game by Japanese students was "yakyu."
2. Answer: Japanese leaders related baseball to their culture by seeing similarities
between the mental competition in baseball and the one-on-one competitions of martial
arts.
3. Answer: Amateur baseball leagues were established in secondary schools and colleges
in Japan by the early 1900s, and the enthusiasm for college baseball in Japan is
equivalent to the excitement for college football or college basketball’s March Madness
in the United States.
4. Answer: American teams regularly toured Japan in the early 1900s, playing exhibition
games against local amateurs. This increased the popularity of baseball in Japan.
5. Answer: World War II interrupted Japanese baseball when most players became
soldiers. After the war, the U.S. military encouraged the professional teams to reform
and continue playing, recognizing baseball as an important part of Japanese culture.
6. Answer: Sadahara Oh was a legendary player for the Yomiuri Giants, and he holds the
world record for career home runs with 868.
7. Answer: Two Japanese players who played in Major League Baseball in the United
States are Hideki Matsui (New York Yankees) and Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners).
Ichiro Suzuki broke a baseball record for hitting in 2004.
8. Answer: The United States occupation of Japan after World War II recognized baseball
as an important part of Japanese culture, encouraging the professional teams to reform
and continue playing.
9. Answer: With the help of television, professional baseball in Japan became bigger than
ever by 1955.
10. Answer: Analyzing the significance of baseball in both Japanese and American cultures
requires considering the historical, cultural, and social aspects mentioned in the story. It
involves understanding how baseball became deeply rooted in Japanese culture and
comparing it to its historical and cultural significance in the United States.
NAME__________________________________ NOV. 13, 2023
YAKYU
______________________________________
1. Who introduced baseball to Japan, and what was the initial name given to the game by
Japanese students?
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How did Japanese leaders relate baseball to their own culture, and why did they
embrace the sport?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. What contributed to the popularity of college baseball in Japan, and how does it
compare to college sports in the United States?
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
How did American teams influence the popularity of baseball in Japan in the early
1900s?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. What role did World War II play in interrupting Japanese baseball, and how did the
United States contribute to the sport's revival after the war?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. What legendary player contributed to the Yomiuri Giants' success from 1965 through
1973, and what record does he hold in the world of baseball?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Name two Japanese players mentioned in the story who have played in Major League
Baseball in the United States, and highlight one significant achievement of each.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. In what ways did the occupation of Japan by the United States after World War II impact
the continuation of professional baseball in the country?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. How did television contribute to the growth of professional baseball in Japan in the
1950s?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
YAKYU
9. Analyze the significance of baseball in both Japanese and American cultures based on
the information provided in the story, how will you explain it? (Write your answer at the
back)
