Winning by Making the Most of It: Atsunori Inaba looks back at Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball gold medal in new book
Historic publisher Chuokoron-Shinsha released Ikashite katsu (Winning by Making the Most of It) on 31 March.
The memories of an historic Olympic baseball gold medal by Samurai Japan manager Atsunori Inaba are now on paper. Historic publisher Chuokoron-Shinsha released on 31 March the book Ikashite katsu (Winning by Making the Most of It).
The book consists of five chapters and goes through Inaba's years as the Samurai Japan manager from 2017 to 2021. Chapter three is about the opposing managers Inaba faced on the international stage. In chapter five, Inaba discussed the manager's role with Kosei Inoue, a former Olympic gold medalist (Sydney 2000) and the Judo National Team manager. The appendix includes the list of players he selected for the National Team and game data.
"We hope that teams aiming to win can find inspiration in what the Japanese Baseball National Team did at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics," wrote Inaba in the preface. “In baseball, the team's greatest goal is to win, but each "team" in a company, school, or community has its own "coach" and "players" and should have its own "victory" to aim for. We hope that the various teams who are all trying to win together will be able to feel something from the fighting spirit of "Samurai Japan," Japan's national baseball team until the Tokyo Olympics.”
He also thanked the fans for their support during his tenure. ”I have nothing but gratitude. Many people cheered us on at the Premier12, and although it was disappointing that there were no spectators this time [during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games], their support in front of the TV surely reached us. Even in the streets of Hokkaido [where I live], I see children wearing hats and uniforms of the Japanese national team, which makes me very happy. Thank you very much for your support over the past four years. I am filled with gratitude."
Inaba is currently the general manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the team he played for during the final years of his career.
He helped the Fighters win the 2006 Japan Series, earning MVP honours.
After his first coaching experience, Inaba left the Fighters after the 2013 season. His memories are the core of the book Thanks Fans, what I left in Hokkaido, which he published in late 2013.
Inaba, an eight-time NPB All-Star and five-time gold glove, won three more Japan Series (1995, 1997, 2001) while playing for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
He has served on the Samurai Japan coaching staff since 2013 and became the manager in 2017. He led Japan to a WBSC Premier12 title in 2019.
