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 Harimoto's 3,085
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 Isao Harimoto's 3,085, the only 3,000-hit career in NPB history.
How to read this tracker
The reference table below mechanically extracts, from official npb.jp records, active players whose career hits are at least 75% of the 2,000-hit standard. No manual curation. Always check npb.jp for definitive figures.
Reference data (tallied from npb.jp official records)
The table below is reference data tallied mechanically from official npb.jp records. Source: Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) official site.
Data as of 2026-07-26 (npb.jp)
| Player | Team | Current | To go |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大島 洋平 | 中日ドラゴンズ | 2079 | Reached |
| 浅村 栄斗 | 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス | 2103 | Reached |
| 栗山 巧 | 埼玉西武ライオンズ | 2151 | Reached |
| 坂本 勇人 | 読売ジャイアンツ | 2462 | Reached |
| 丸 佳浩 | 読売ジャイアンツ | 1939 | 61 |
| 菊池 涼介 | 広島東洋カープ | 1853 | 147 |
| 中村 剛也 | 埼玉西武ライオンズ | 1830 | 170 |
| 秋山 翔吾 | 広島東洋カープ | 1788 | 212 |
| 柳田 悠岐 | 福岡ソフトバンクホークス | 1690 | 310 |
| 山田 哲人 | 東京ヤクルトスワローズ | 1643 | 357 |
| 鈴木 大地 | 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス | 1616 | 384 |
| 中村 晃 | 福岡ソフトバンクホークス | 1520 | 480 |
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, 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.