Forced Aliases - Players Who Hid Their Real Names
Throughout NPB history, many Zainichi Korean players played under Japanese aliases. Fearing discrimination and heckling for using Korean names, or at team request, they were forced to hide their real names. Isao Harimoto, NPB's all-time hits leader known as Zainichi Korean, played under the Japanese-sounding surname 'Harimoto.' Masaichi Kaneda was also Zainichi Korean and achieved the immortal record of 400 career wins, but his origins were long not publicly discussed. The inability to use their real names left deep wounds on players' identities.
Foreign Player Quotas and the Nationality Barrier
Zainichi Korean players born and raised in Japan but holding Korean nationality could be subject to NPB's foreign player quota. With the quota limited to four active roster spots, having to compete in the same category as imported foreign players was a significant handicap. This issue saw active debate in the 1990s, and NPB implemented special provisions for resident foreigners. However, the history of disadvantageous treatment of Zainichi Korean players through system changes symbolizes baseball's discriminatory structure.
Discriminatory Heckling from Spectators
Players known to be Zainichi Korean sometimes faced discriminatory heckling from spectators. Multiple former players have testified about insulting words like 'go back to Korea' being shouted at stadiums. Teams and NPB rarely took firm action against such heckling, leaving individual players to endure it alone for extended periods. Since the 2010s, social awareness of discriminatory behavior has increased, and ejection measures for discriminatory acts at stadiums have been introduced, but eradication has not been achieved.
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Identity Struggles and Pride
Zainichi Korean players have played within the complex identity of living in Japanese society while having Korean roots. They wavered between fear and pride in using their real names, continuously confronting how to accept their origins. Since the 2000s, some players have gone public as Zainichi Korean and play under their real names. Some Zainichi players also represent Korea in international competitions, expanding the range of identity expression. However, the history of discrimination has not been fully addressed, and creating an environment where Zainichi Korean players can comfortably play under their real names remains a challenge NPB must address.
Team Ownership and Zainichi Korean Involvement
NPB history includes cases where Zainichi Korean entrepreneurs played roles in team management. Takeo Shigemitsu (Shin Kyuk-ho), the Zainichi Korean founder of the Lotte Group, supported the Lotte Orions (later Lotte Marines) as owner for decades. While Zainichi Koreans contributed to baseball both as players and executives, public recognition of these contributions remained limited. The reluctance to discuss team owners' backgrounds reflected broader social prejudice against Zainichi Koreans. Properly documenting and evaluating their contributions to management is important for deepening baseball's historical awareness.
Media Coverage and Treatment of Zainichi Korean Players
How sports media reported on Zainichi Korean players' backgrounds shifted across eras. During the 1960s and 1970s, mentioning a player's Korean origins was considered taboo, and only Japanese aliases appeared in coverage. From the 1980s onward, some players began disclosing their backgrounds, but media rarely covered these disclosures prominently. Media practices directly affected the visibility of Zainichi Korean players, and the silence has been criticized as complicit in maintaining discriminatory structures.
Japan-Korea Relations and Impact on Baseball
Fluctuations in Japan-Korea diplomatic relations have influenced the atmosphere surrounding Zainichi Korean players. Testimonies indicate that discriminatory heckling at stadiums increased during periods of political tension between the two countries. Conversely, during the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Japan and Korea, a mood of sports-based friendship spread, and some Zainichi players drew attention as bridges between the two nations. Baseball is not isolated from politics, and the structure whereby diplomatic relations cast shadows on players' daily lives must be recognized as a difficulty unique to Zainichi Korean players.