How Japanese politicians use ceremonial first pitches, the political significance of Emperor's Game attendance, and the intersection of baseball stadiums with public subsidies and local politics.
NPB has a tradition of celebrating retiring players within actual games. This uniquely Japanese tradition absent from MLB - how did it originate and what does it mean? A look back at the history of emotional farewell games.
NPB holds formal retirement games for veteran players, complete with bouquets, victory laps, and tearful speeches. But this ceremony barely exists in MLB or European soccer. The retirement game is a uniquely Japanese baseball ritual.