Taking advantage of his trip to Japan on the occasion of the XXVII IBAF Congress, President Riccardo Fraccari extended his stay to visit Mizuno Technics, the manufacturing center for Mizuno’s superior quality products, in Yoro, Gifu Prefecture.
Alongside the Executives of Mizuno Technics, Mr. Isokazu Kubota, legendary craftsman at bat production, also welcomed the IBAF President and gave a demonstration of handcrafting a bat.
Kubota had received the Ministry of Labor’s “Contemporary Master Craftsman” award in 2003, honoring his bat making skills.
President Fraccari also witnessed the manufacturing procedures of Mizuno 200, IBAF’s official competition ball.
Mizuno has been a partner of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) since the early 1990’s and is continuing to do so. The company is supplying several international baseball competitions with game balls and outfits Technical Commissioners and Officials during IBAF Competitions.
Mizuno was founded in 1906 by brothers Rihachi and Rizo Mizuno in Osaka, Japan. The Mizuno Technics Cooperation in Yoro was created in 2002 as a subsidiary and became the first zero-emissions factory of Mizuno. Since then all affiliated Mizuno factories are achieving zero emissions.
This year Mizuno is going to be the official ball supplier for the 12U Baseball World Cup (July 20 to 28) and the 18U Baseball World Cup (August 30 to September 8), which will be held in New Taipei City respective Taichung.
