Choosing a Company to Be Near Jingu Stadium?! A Die-hard Baseball Fan’s Perspective on Ryota Igarashi’s Retirement

The Sendagaya area, where our SUNNY SIDE UP office is located, is home to the National Stadium (venue for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony), the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium—a mecca for rugby—and Jingu Stadium, the home field for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Tohto University Baseball League. Last year, the widely discussed MGC (Marathon Grand Championship) also featured the ginkgo tree-lined avenue of the Outer Gardens as its finish line. In autumn, many recreational runners can be seen circling the Meiji Jingu Gaien, making this the area in the heart of Tokyo where sports feel most accessible.

Having played rugby since childhood, I have always felt a close connection to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Furthermore, as a devoted “En-to” (Swallows fan) who has supported the Tokyo Yakult Swallows for over 20 years since elementary school, I have felt a profound sense of destiny, or “En,” with this Gaien area.

In fact, one of the reasons I decided to join this company was that I could head straight to Jingu Stadium after work.

This past weekend saw the “2020 TOKYO En Project” (hereafter referred to as En-Pro), an annual event organized by the Swallows to dye Jingu Stadium in “Midori” (green/destiny). With free uniforms distributed to fans, the stadium was transformed into a sea of bright green. Through a stroke of good luck, I have managed to attend this event for three consecutive years!

■ 2020 TOKYO En Project
https://www.yakult-swallows.co.jp/pages/info/special/tokyo_en_project2020/

However, this year’s “En-Pro” became a special day for both SSU and myself.

The Retirement of Ryota Igarashi

On this day, Ryota Igarashi, a member of SUNNY SIDE UP, brought his 23-year professional career to a close.

Igarashi joined the Swallows at age 18 from the prestigious Keiai High School in Chiba. He rose to prominence with a powerful fastball that clocked in at 158 km/h in 2004, tying the record for the fastest Japanese pitcher at the time. With his handsome looks, he was often called the “Kimutaku of the baseball world” and captivated many fans. After challenging himself in Major League Baseball, he added new breaking balls to his powerful repertoire and became a key figure in the SoftBank Hawks’ championship victory. Last year, he returned to his original team, the Swallows, for the first time in 10 years.

■ Ryota Igarashi
https://www.ssu.co.jp/service/ssupeople/ryota_igarashi/

Loved not only by Swallows and SoftBank fans but by many professional baseball fans through the media, Igarashi may have chosen his old home, Yakult and Jingu, as the final destination of his playing career.

Among the crowd filled with green En-Pro uniforms, Igarashi’s jersey number “53” stood out prominently. Despite the stadium being at only 50% capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions, the sense of unity in the ballpark gave me goosebumps as a fan.

The game was a frustrating development for Swallows fans as the opposing Chunichi Dragons held the lead until the late stages. However, the atmosphere in the stadium intensified when Igarashi began warming up in the bullpen in the 6th inning.

Then, in the 8th inning, Manager Takatsu—who formed a winning relief combination with Igarashi during their playing days—called out, “Pitcher, Igarashi.” He took the mound for the last time under the watchful eyes of Pitching Coach Ishii (his former “Rocket Boys” partner), teammate Ishikawa (who is the same age and has played alongside him), seniors like Atsuya Furuta and Shinya Miyamoto in the commentary booth, and super rookie Okugawa. For a fan, it was an unforgettable moment.

⚾️ Ryota Igarashi Retirement Game ⚾️
Thank you for your 23 years of hard work. #swallows #RyotaIgarashi pic.twitter.com/zZ7kyhT1HA

— Tokyo Yakult Swallows Official (@swallowspr) October 25, 2020

The final pitch he threw was, fittingly, his signature fastball. He induced a ground ball to third, which was handled by a fine play from his teammate to secure the final out of his career, and he left the mound to thunderous applause.

Although the team lost the game, the retirement ceremony that followed featured a message to his teammates and fans that was quintessentially Igarashi. He concluded by climbing the right-field fence at Jingu Stadium—a classic performance reserved only for legends—to express his gratitude to the fans, bringing his 23-year career to a close!

Being able to witness firsthand the figure of Igarashi, who never forgot to take on new challenges and always pushed forward with integrity, made me feel a sense of “En” (destiny) in joining this company.

Mr. Igarashi, thank you for your 23 years of hard work! I look forward to seeing your future success in your own unique style!!

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