Behind the glamorous stage, NPB players battle extreme pressure, fear of injury, and post-retirement loss. Yet in Japanese baseball, speaking openly about mental health has long been taboo. This article examines the mental health crises players face and the current state of support systems.
Interpreters accompanying NPB foreign players handle not just language bridging but life support, mental care, and cultural mediation. However, their compensation doesn't match their workload. This article examines interpreters suffering from 24-hour availability demands and low pay.
Approximately 100 NPB players are released annually, most in their late twenties to early thirties with no conventional work experience. This article examines the second career crisis behind professional baseball's glamorous facade.