2,000 hits and the Meikyukai
The Meikyukai was founded in 1978, and its batting standard is 2,000 career hits in NPB official games. Membership stood at roughly 70 players as of the 2020s.
Only NPB career totals count - MLB hits are not added. Ichiro, despite his combined NPB/MLB totals, does not qualify because his NPB-only count falls short: the best-known illustration of the rule.
The scale of 2,000 - the career record is 3,085 by Harimoto of Toei, Nittaku and Nippon-Ham
Reaching 2,000 hits works out to about 150 hits a year for over 13 seasons. Injuries, lost playing time and moves to MLB all interrupt careers - longevity is the real wall.
The NPB career hits record is 3,085 by Isao Harimoto, who starred for Toei, Nittaku and Nippon-Ham - the only 3,000-hit career in NPB history.
How to read this tracker
The reference table below lists active batters approaching the 2,000-hit milestone. Figures are as of the data date; where they differ from the latest official records, the official records take precedence.
Reference data
The table below is reference data compiled by this site, not an official announcement.
Data as of
Legend: Reached Within 5% of the target More than 5% of the target to go Milestone line
InfieldOutfield
- 大島 洋平 (age 40) 2079 / 2000 Reached
- 浅村 栄斗 (age 35) 2105 / 2000 Reached
- 栗山 巧 (age 43) 2152 / 2000 Reached
- 坂本 勇人 (age 37) 2474 / 2000 Reached
- 丸 佳浩 (age 37) 1956 / 2000 44 to go
- 菊池 涼介 (age 36) 1898 / 2000 102 to go
- 中村 剛也 (age 43) 1844 / 2000 156 to go
- 秋山 翔吾 (age 38) 1812 / 2000 188 to go
- 柳田 悠岐 (age 37) 1755 / 2000 245 to go
- 山田 哲人 (age 34) 1658 / 2000 342 to go
- 鈴木 大地 (age 37) 1616 / 2000 384 to go
- 中村 晃 (age 36) 1522 / 2000 478 to go
Hits added after the 2,000th, by the year it was reached
The 56 players who reached 2,000 hits added a median of 132.5 more hits, and 張本 勲 added the most with 1085.
Scroll right to see the full chart
- Each dot is one player: the horizontal axis is the year he reached the mark, the vertical axis is his career total minus 2000 hits.
- Among the 1990 players who reached it in 32 or later, the median is 113.5 hits.
- These are finalized official records. Career totals cover NPB only and do not include combined NPB/MLB figures.
- Career totals for the 4 active players are as of Oct 8, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is 2,000 hits the standard for?
It is the Meikyukai batting membership standard, counting NPB official-game career totals only (MLB hits excluded).
Who holds the NPB career hits record?
Isao Harimoto of Toei, Nittaku and Nippon-Ham, with 3,085 - the only NPB career above 3,000 hits.
Do MLB hits count toward the Meikyukai standard?
No. Only NPB official-game career totals are counted.
Which active player is closest to 2,000 hits?
The active player closest to 2,000 hits is 丸 佳浩 (Yomiuri), 44 hits to go (as of Oct 8, 2026).