The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. Founded on February 22, 1938 as the Nankai Club, being the first Kansai team to play in Osaka proper, the team went through a few name changes before settling on Nankai Hawks in 1947, eventually changing ownership in 1988 and moving to Fukuoka in 1989. The team subsequently became known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks until 2005, when they were purchased by SoftBank Group, becoming the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Since 1993, the Hawks have played at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome, which has gone under several name changes and seats 40,000 people.
The Fukuoka PayPay Dome, officially the Fukuoka Dome is a baseball field located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Home to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the 40,000 seat stadium was built in 1993 and was originally named Fukuoka Dome. With a diameter of 216 meters, the Fukuoka Dome is the world's largest geodesic dome. It is Japan's first stadium built with a retractable roof, and was the only one in Japan until the opening of Es Con Field Hokkaido in 2023. In 2005, Yahoo! JAPAN, one of SoftBank's subsidiaries, acquired the stadium's naming rights, and thus renamed it Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome or abbreviated as Yahoo Dome, In January 2013, it was renamed to Fukuoka Yafuoku! Dome. Yafuoku is the abbreviation for Yahoo! Auctions in Japan. On October 30, 2019, it was announced that the stadium was going to be named Fukuoka PayPay Dome, in reference to the payment system PayPay owned by Softbank (50%) and Yahoo Japan (25%), from February 29, 2020. It is one of the few NPB stadiums with onsite hotels.
Arihito Muramatsu is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder, and current the first squad outfield defense and base coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Hiroki Kokubo is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and current the second squad manager for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Tetsuya Matoyama is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and current the first squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Kenichi Nakata is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current the fourth squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Ryoji Moriyama is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, and current the third squad manager for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Hiroshi Takamura is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, and current the second squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Masaumi Shimizu is a Japanese former professional baseball Catcher,and current the fourth squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Kenichi Wakatabe is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, and current third squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Hiroshi Ogawa is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball shortstop, and current the forth squad manage for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
The 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 66th season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950. In the Central League, the Yakult Swallows claimed the pennant and defeated the Yomiuri Giants in the final stage of the Climax Series. In the Pacific League, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the penant and defeated the Chiba Lotte Marines in the final stage of the Climax Series.
Keisaburo Tanoue is a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, and current the second squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Kenji Yoshitsuru is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball catcher, and current the third squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Hideaki Matsuyama is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, and current first squad infield and base coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Manabu Saito is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current first squad pitching coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Takashi Sasagawa is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder, catcher, and current forth squad infield and base coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Fumikazu Takanami is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder, and current forth squad outfield and base coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Junji Hoshino is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current pitchers coordinator for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Tomohiro Nagai is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, and current Executive officer and General Manager of Scouting department for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).