THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
March 24, 2023 at 14:01 JST
An estimated 1,200 appreciative fans cheered and greeted members of Samurai Japan, which clinched its third championship in the World Baseball Classic, upon their return to Japan on March 23.
The players, coaches and other team members arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo on a chartered flight from the United States.
The members, excluding four major leaguers who have remained in the United States after the final, including Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, attended a news conference at a hotel in Narita.
Manager Hideki Kuriyama told the large assembled media throng, “The players fulfilled their roles and secured the victory. The passion of many Japanese people gave us energy. I’m so grateful.”
Roki Sasaki, who pitches for the Chiba Lotte Marines, said, “I enjoyed so much playing against major leaguers at a stadium in America.”
He also expressed his hopes for the next WBC tournament, scheduled for 2026, saying, “I want to try hard to be able to grow more and play in three years’ time.”
The championship was the first in three WBC tournaments for Samurai Japan since 2009.
The three WBC trophies that Samurai Japan has won, including for the first and second tournaments along with the latest, were displayed at the news conference venue.
Video Research Ltd. released the provisional average ratings figures for the WBC final between 8:25 a.m. and 12:08 p.m. on March 22 in the Kanto region.
The average household rating was 42.4 percent and the average individual rating was 24.3 percent.
The final between Japan and the United States was broadcast by the TV Asahi network.
The highest ratings were recorded at the game's completion when Japan secured the victory at 11:43 a.m.--46 percent for the household rating and 26.3 percent for the individual rating.
The Imperial Household Agency said on March 23 that Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko watched the WBC final on TV.
According to accounts from aides of Naruhito and Masako, the couple read newspaper accounts during the tournament on how Japanese helped in training and improving the baseball skills of players in various locales around the world.
They were delighted to learn that young Japanese contribute to the flourishing of sports by promoting baseball, according to the aides.
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Hideki Kuriyama, center, manager of Samurai Japan, and standout catcher Yuhei Nakamura greet cheering fans at Narita Airport on March 23. (Wataru Sekita)
