Ichiro Inspires Kobe High School Students with Life Lessons, Memories from Time of Hanshin Earthquake

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:27 JST, September 7, 2025

Ichiro Suzuki, who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in both Japan and the United States, joined third-year high school students in Kobe on Saturday for a special talk event.

Addressing the audience of around 530 people, Ichiro encouraged the students by saying, “What really matters is your attitude, especially when things are not going well.”

The event was organized by the city of Kobe to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake and to celebrate Ichiro’s Hall of Fame honor. Ichiro, 51, agreed to participate at the city’s request.

Back in 1995, Ichiro played for the Orix BlueWave (now the Orix Buffaloes) and was a central figure in the team’s rallying under the slogan “Ganbaro Kobe” (Hang on, Kobe). That year, the team clinched the Pacific League title at Seibu Stadium (now Seibu Dome).

Recalling the following season in 1996, when his walk-off hit in Kobe secured back-to-back league championships, Ichiro said: “In the year that the earthquake occurred, we couldn’t win the championship in Kobe. So in 1996, when I hit the walk-off in Kobe, I jumped up and pumped my fist only that time. It was truly special.”

When a 17-year-old female student spoke of her struggles with a batting slump, Ichiro offered practical advice, saying, “[When I was in a slump], I made it a habit to arrive at the ballpark earlier than anyone else and kept preparing.”