The Rakuten Group operates under five brand concepts: "Noble Cause," "Noble Character," "Meticulous Preparation," "Unwavering Conviction," and "Unity." What if you mapped each of these five qualities to a player on the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles? Naturally, a perfect lineup emerges. "Unwavering Conviction" goes to Ginji, who has an unwavering commitment to becoming the best in Japan. As a homegrown veteran, and also a Tohoku native, he tells us why he will never give up.

Ginji has continued to play for the Eagles since his professional debut in 2006. He hails from Fuddai Village in Iwate Prefecture. On March 11, 2011, the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, he was playing baseball as a member of the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles.

Surely every professional baseball player aims to play well, contribute to their team’s victory, and win a championship. All of this is for the fans who cheer them on. Of course, not everyone can achieve that. In the face of fierce competition, there are times when one has to accept the reality set before them. Conviction may be something that only becomes visible in those very moments. What do these players carry on their shoulders?

“The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 fundamentally changed the way I think as a professional baseball player. Ever since I went pro, I’d just been desperately throwing myself at what was in front of me, to the point where I wasn’t even thinking about playing baseball, if that makes any sense. But when I saw the disaster that the earthquake and tsunami brought, and I talked to the people who had been affected, I thought that I had to step up and do something myself. I wanted to give everyone hope as a Tohoku native through baseball. I knew I might just be a drop in the ocean, but I had to try. That feeling hasn’t changed in the twelve years since then. I want to perform for the people living in the affected areas, and I want to win a championship for them. I want to see the smiles on everyone’s faces that we saw when we won the Japan Series in 2013. I can’t give up on that. That’s why I want to keep pushing harder.

And ever since I started thinking that way, I’ve come to like baseball even more than before. It actually feels like I like baseball more than I did the day before!

Last year I got a lot of chances to come out as the pinch hitter, but situations that call for pinch hitters are usually when things aren’t going well, so everyone is kind of passive. But I was happy even under that kind of pressure. I was having so much fun. Because everyone is watching me, I was like, ‘If I get a hit here, the whole place will go crazy.’ Once I was able to think that way, I was able to focus on looking for my pitch from the very first pitch. With a mindset of going on the offensive and taking the initiative.

That said, it’s almost never the case that everything goes just my way. Of course there are times when I don’t get a hit. What matters is understanding that not everything is going to go as planned. I think that once you understand that, you can put in the effort to try to make things better, and to prepare for anything that might come your way. And then, if you don’t get a hit, you immediately switch your mindset. Don’t wait until the next day to reset your mind, you do it right there, so you’re ready for the next pitch.”

TEXT: Chiharu Abe