TOKYO -- Hokkaido, the northernmost island in Japan, is famed for its fishing, with trout, salmon and crab among the delicacies that can be found in its waters and upon its shoreline. What Hokkaido isn’t known for is its baseball.
Samurai Japan right-hander Hiromi Itoh is working on changing that.
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“I was the first player from Hokkaido to be selected to the Japanese national team,” Itoh told MLB.com, with Yukino Imai interpreting. “This time, I'm still the second player from Hokkaido. [Koki Kitayama, who was tasked with coming up with the team’s matcha-whisking celebration this year, is the other.] So, I just want everyone to know how good we are.
"And of course, the popularity of baseball is growing in Hokkaido, so they're getting much more attention. I just want to be myself on the mound and showcase my great ability that I learned through baseball life in Hokkaido.”
Itoh was born to a family of commercial fishermen and his name even means “great sea." It's only natural that he finds peace on the water. Most of his Instagram account is filled with photos of his best catches. Earlier this year, his wife even got him a cake to celebrate the pitcher’s 28th birthday -- and for catching 100 flounder.
Fishing and pitching may have more in common than you might expect. In each, you are a man alone, marooned out in the water or on the mound. Each requires patience and strategy, setting up a slugger for a strikeout the same way you lure in a prize catch before you finally reel it in.
On the water, it’s man vs. nature. Itoh -- who struck out six batters in three innings of work against Korea on Saturday, the only hit he surrendered was a two-run home run -- thinks of pitching similarly.
“I often go to the ocean to just freshen myself up,” Itoh said. “But playing baseball, I'm playing against another human -- which is nature, actually. It's always good for your body, good for your brain to be able to expose yourself to great nature.”
While Itoh may need to be calm and still on the water to avoid scaring off the fish, he’s quite the opposite on the mound. He’s known for his energy and exuberance, eagerly showing off his emotion and joy while playing the game.
“The Fighters' team motto is to have fun,” Itoh said. “I love to enjoy the game. I would like the fans in the U.S. and everywhere else to know that I am not just pitching, but that I enjoy myself on the mound. I like to express my excitement and joy.”
Growing up in Hokkaido, he gravitated to one of the best pitchers to ever don the Nippon-Ham Fighters jersey: Yu Darvish (while Darvish played in Hokkaido, he is from Osaka. It also bears a mention that Shohei Ohtani's NPB team was the Fighters, too). The right-hander, whose jersey hangs in Japan’s dugout as he's out for the tournament following elbow surgery, starred for the Hokkaido ballclub from 2005-11, winning the Sawamura Award in 2007 and collecting MVP honors in ‘07 and ‘09.
“He was one of my favorite players growing up, and I’ve always looked up to him,” Itoh said. “I’ve learned a lot from him, not only pitching-skill-wise, but how to get into the game, and lots of mentality stuff, as well.”
After a 2025 season in which Itoh went 14-8 with 2.52 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 196 2/3 innings, he joined Darvish by earning the Sawamura Award, as well. Unlike the Cy Young Award, NPB voters can choose not to hand out the honor, so he’s also the first pitcher since Samurai Japan teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto to win the award.
“As a starting pitcher, that's an award that everyone dreams of,” Itoh said. “I’m very happy, but I’m not satisfied with my stats in the season. I still want to aim higher next season.”
He hopes to one day reach the Major Leagues, too, but before he gets there, he’ll try to help Japan win another World Baseball Classic. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2021 and he helped the Samurais win the WBC in 2023, but he’s not thinking about mounting a title defense. For him, he’s just trying to win one title with this team.
“I'm not really thinking about defending the title,” Itoh said, “because every time you assemble a new team, you always get different players. We're starting fresh, so we're just challenging for another championship.”