JAPAN Forward 
JapanBall's new baseball travel guide is now available in ebook and audiobook formats. (Courtesy of JapanBall)
JapanBall.com has released its inaugural travel guide to Japanese baseball, featuring 145 pages of expert insight on Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams, ballparks and cities.
Founded in 1999 by Bob Bavasi, son of renowned Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Buzzie Bavasi, JapanBall has been a leader in the international baseball tourism industry for decades. It also provides English-language news and information on Japanese baseball.
Shane Barclay, who took over as company owner and president in 2019, hopes that JapanBall Travel Guide to Japanese Baseball will help make Japanese baseball more accessible to a broader range of fans. "We at JapanBall believe that baseball is a global and unifying game," he said. "This guide allows you to experience both of those aspects in the ideal way."
Barclay also serves as a Major League Baseball consultant on the World Baseball Classic and previously worked for MLB out of New York City and the Dominican Republic. He has led many tours around Japan, the Dominican Republic and Europe and believes in the importance of getting a firsthand experience of foreign cultures through sporting events.
Helping Baseball Fans Overcome Language Barriers
The primary author of the guide, which is available digitally and as an audiobook, is Canadian senior business analyst and voice-over artist Gabriel Lerman. He has provided English scripts, voice-overs of Japanese baseball highlights and play-by-play of live games for Pacific League TV since 2021.
"The guide is intended to overcome the last few hurdles of language barriers," Lerman stated.
Other longtime NPB fans, like Hanshin Tigers English News founder Trevor Raichura, contributed with recommendations on food options at Koshien Stadium.
"I want to see folks post pictures and videos from their favorite teams," Lerman added. "There is belonging in the bleachers."
The cover art features a snapshot of everything the book encapsulates, including baseball, cheering squads, beer girls and intriguing destinations tourists can visit nearby stadiums. It was created by Matias Solario, an independent illustrator and baseball fan based in Waikiki, Hawaii.
Interesting Aspects of the Book
When asked why attending a sporting event is so unique and valuable to a travel experience in a foreign country, Barclay shared the following:
"The transportation options are well documented, widely accessible, and are meant to accommodate large crowds. Second, you get a cross-section of the local community, from the executives and high-society types in the front row to the blue-collar fans in the bleachers and everyone in between. Finally, the locals have their guards down and think it is really cool that you are there to see their team and want to know why you are there."
Japanese baseball historian and author Rob Fitts is impressed with the guide's content.
"JapanBall's travel guide is loaded with tips and inside info to help both rookie and experienced fans have a great NPB experience," Fitts said. "I've been attending NPB games for over 30 years and I learned something new and useful on nearly every page."
About the Book
JapanBall Travel Guide to Japanese Baseball can be purchased on the company's website. Customers can order the ebook, the audiobook or the ebook and audiobook bundle. Ordering instructions and additional details are provided on the link above.
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