Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called Puro Yakyū (プロ野球), meaning Professional Baseball.
The Japan Series, also the Nippon Series, is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League, and is played in October or November. The first team to win four games is the overall winner and is declared the Japan Series Champion each year. The winner of the Japan Series also goes on to be the Japanese representative team in the annual Asia Series. The Japan Series uses a 2-3-2 format.
The Orix Buffaloes are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The team plays in the Pacific League and is under ownership by Orix, a leading diversified financial services company founded in Osaka.
Tatsunori Hara is a Japanese former professional baseball player, and the current manager of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team in Nippon Professional Baseball.
The 1996 Japan Series was the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) championship series for the 1996 season. It was the 47th Japan Series and featured the Pacific League champions, the Orix BlueWave, against the Central League champions, the Yomiuri Giants. The series was the eighth time the two franchises played each other for the championship; however, the last time the two teams played, Orix was known as the Hankyu Braves. Played at Tokyo Dome and Green Stadium Kobe, the BlueWave defeated the Giants four games to one in the best-of-seven series to win the franchise's 4th Japan Series title. BlueWave slugger and 1996 PL home run leader Troy Neel was named Most Valuable Player of the series. The series was played between October 19 and October 24, 1996, with home field advantage going to the Central League.
The 1989 Japan Series was the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) championship series for the 1989 season. It was the 40th Japan Series and featured the Pacific League champion Kintetsu Buffaloes against the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants. Kintetsu barely scraped into the series with a winning percentage only .001 higher than the second place Orix Braves, and Yomiuri won the CL pennant by 8 games to return to the series for the 25th time in franchise history. Played at Fujiidera Stadium and Tokyo Dome, the Giants won the series after losing the first three games to the underdog Buffaloes and staging a miraculous comeback, winning four games in a row with the final two wins coming on the road. Yomiuri slugger Norihiro Komada was named Most Valuable Player of the series. The series was played between October 21 and October 29 with home field advantage going to the Pacific League.
The 2015 Japan Series was the 66th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, champions of the Pacific League, played the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, champions of the Central League. The Hawks were the defending Japan Series champions, having beaten the Hanshin Tigers in 2014. The series was sponsored by the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and was officially known as the SMBC Nippon Series 2015.
Noboru Aota was a Japanese professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played with the Tokyo Kyojin/Yomiuri Giants, Hankyu Braves, and Taiyo-Shochiku Robins from 1942–1959, playing in both the Japanese Baseball League and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). A five-time league home run champion, he was one of the first true sluggers of Japanese professional baseball — despite being only 5'7" and 171 lbs. Aota was selected as a Best Nine Award-winner five times and a NPB All-Star six separate times. In 2009, he was inducted to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 1984 Japan Series was the 35th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Hiroshima Toyo Carp against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. This was the fourth Japan Series appearance for the Carp, and the tenth appearance for the Braves. The Carp defeated the Braves in seven games to claim their third Japan Series championship.
The 1978 Japan Series was the 29th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yakult Swallows against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. The Braves entered the series looking to win their fourth consecutive title, while the Swallows were making their first-ever Japan Series appearance. The Swallows defeated the Braves in seven games to claim their first championship.
The 1977 Japan Series was the 28th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. This was a rematch of the previous year's Japan Series, which the Braves won in seven games. The Braves would again defeat the Giants, this time in five games, to capture their third consecutive championship.
The 1976 Japan Series was the 27th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. The Braves defeated the Giants in seven games to win their second consecutive Japan Series championship.
The 1975 Japan Series was the 26th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Hiroshima Toyo Carp against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. The Braves defeated the Carp in six games, four games to zero, with Games 1 and 4 finishing tied. This was the Braves' first championship in team history.
The 1973 Japan Series was the 24th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Nankai Hawks. The Giants defeated the Hawks in five games to win an NPB-record ninth consecutive Japan Series title.
The 1972 Japan Series was the 23rd edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. This was the fifth time in the last six years that the two teams had met in the Japan Series, with the Giants having won all previous matchups. The Giants defeated the Braves in five games to win their eighth consecutive title.
The 1970 Japan Series was the 21st edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Lotte Orions. The Giants defeated the Orions in five games to win their sixth consecutive championship.
The 1969 Japan Series was the 20th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. This was the third consecutive meeting between the two teams in the Japan Series, with the previous two matchups being won by the Giants. Yomiuri defeated Hankyu once again in six games to capture their fifth consecutive championship.
The 1968 Japan Series was the 19th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. This was a rematch of the previous year's Japan Series, which the Giants won. Yomiuri again defeated Hankyu in six games to capture their fourth consecutive title.
The 1967 Japan Series was the 18th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Hankyu Braves. The Giants defeated the Braves in six games to win their third consecutive championship.
