Japanese-style baseball or rubber-ball 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.軟式野球と硬式野球の違いって？ SPOLABO's webpage

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

History

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 ) 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 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 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 , 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 formed a youth baseball association in Tokyo.

Ball types

The ball has undergone a number of revisions, but the current dimensions were set out in December 2016 by the and the .

Two types are specified: type M (major) and type J (junior). Type M has a diameter of . Meanwhile, type J has a diameter of .ハートの新球、5つの秘密 Jiji Press Ltd.'s webpage

In comparison, a regulation leather baseball is in diameter. An 11-inch ball used in softball has a diameter of about .The Long History of Various Softball Sizes Decker Sports' webpage

Bat types

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

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

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,What's New Japan University Nanshiki Baseball Federation webpage and there is a World University Japanese-style Baseball Tournament () 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.

In addition, the International Boys Nankyu Baseball World Championship (), 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.Taiwan snags 12th IBA-Boys baseball championship in Japan Focus Taiwan webpage 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 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) 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) 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) Jul 2017 35th Edogawa Japan (7) Jul 2018 36th Edogawa Japan (8) Jul 2019 37th Misato, Saitama Chinese Taipei (12) Jul 2020 38th Event Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) Jul 2021 39thEvent Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) Jul 2022 40thEvent Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) Jul 2023 41st Edogawa Japan (9) Jul 2024 42nd Edogawa Chinese Taipei (13)Jul 202543rdEdogawaJapan (10)

+Roll of Honour Champion Wins Chinese Taipei 13 Japan 10 China 8 Mexico 6 Brazil 1 Philippines 1 Shown in alphabetical order in the event of a tie.

References

Japan Rubber Baseball Association's webpage

External links Sports Nippon Newspapers article Tokyo Nanshiki Baseball Association's webpage