Militarism and Pressure on Baseball
Following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Japanese society rapidly militarized, and professional baseball was not spared. As the movement to eliminate 'enemy language' intensified, English team names were banned in 1940. The Tokyo Giants became 'Tokyo Kyojin-gun' and the Tigers became 'Hanshin-gun.' Baseball terminology was replaced with Japanese equivalents: strikes became 'yoshi' (good) and balls became 'dame' (no good). Flag-raising ceremonies and the national anthem became mandatory before games, and players sometimes marched in national uniforms over their baseball attire. Baseball was transformed from entertainment into a tool for national prestige.
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Player Conscription and War Deaths
As the war situation deteriorated, draft notices reached professional baseball players. Eiji Sawamura was conscripted three times, and his right shoulder, overworked from grenade-throwing drills, lost its pitching ability. In December 1944, Sawamura died at age 27 when his transport ship was sunk. Beyond Sawamura, many players including Masaru Kageura and Masaki Yoshihara lost their lives on the battlefield. The successive loss of founding-era star players represented an immeasurable blow to Japanese baseball. The Eiji Sawamura Award, established after the war, was created to eternally commemorate his achievements and sacrifice.
Biographies of Eiji Sawamura are also helpful
1944-1945 - Crisis of Survival
The 1944 season was barely completed amid intensifying air raids and player shortages. Teams managed with roughly 15 players each, and the number of games was drastically reduced. Korakuen Stadium was requisitioned as a military supply depot, making it extremely difficult to secure venues. By 1945, the intensification of mainland air raids made official games completely impossible. However, some officials continued efforts to keep professional baseball alive through unofficial games and morale-boosting exhibitions in rural areas. Many records from this period have been lost, but the determination of those who sought to preserve baseball during wartime made the rapid postwar revival possible.
Postwar Revival and Lessons of War
In November 1945, just three months after the war's end, an East-West exhibition game was held at Jingu Stadium. Approximately 15,000 spectators gathered amid the ruins, making the event a symbol of hope for postwar recovery. The pennant race resumed in 1946, and professional baseball rapidly regained its status as national entertainment. The wartime experience demonstrated both the danger of sports being exploited for political and military purposes and the power of sports as a spiritual pillar for people. NPB continues to hold 'Peace Day' events around August 15 each year to ensure the memories of war are not forgotten.