Japan Baseball Legend Shigeo Nagashima Symbolized Postwar Growth; Inspired Fans With Dazzling Play and Courage Amid Illness

By Tomoo Ota Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

17:01 JST, June 4, 2025

As Japan recovered from the devastation of World War II and entered a period of rapid economic growth, a jaunty superstar appeared in the form of professional baseball player Shigeo Nagashima.

The nation was charmed by the enthusiasm emanating from his entire body and his bright smiles. Nagashima’s words and deeds embodied a Japan that was stepping forward into a future full of hope.

Nagashima dazzled fans with his batting, which often resulted in dramatic victories, as well as his showy fielding and swift base-running. People of all generations, from children to adults, were enthralled by his energetic performance on the field.

He joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1958 and changed the world of professional baseball.

Another Giants legend Sadaharu Oh, now chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, might be called “record-breaker Oh” with his career total of 868 home runs, but Nagashima could be called “memory-maker Nagashima.”

In Nagashima’s opinion, the best moment of his career took place during a game on June 25, 1959. It was his second year as a pro player, and the game was held at Korakuen Stadium with Emperor Showa in attendance.

In the ninth inning against the Hanshin Tigers, Nagashima hit a walk-off home run to win the game. The story of this dramatic hit has been passed down in the annals of Japanese baseball.

Nagashima was proud of that moment. “Baseball is said to have drama, but that was the only game where I reached a much higher level,” he said.

That game is believed to have elevated Japanese professional baseball to the national sport. Before that, professional baseball was less popular than the games played by six university teams in Tokyo.

In those years, Oh and Nagashima were nicknamed the “O-N cannons.” They were a key part of the Giants winning the Japan Series championship nine years in a row from 1965.

The phrase “Kyojin, Taiho, Tamagoyaki” was synonymous for children’s favorite things back then: the Yomiuri Giants, a popular sumo wrestler of the day and a rolled omelet.

Japan’s gross domestic product saw double-digit increases for five years in a row from 1966. People were said to long for the “3C” consumer products, namely a color TV, an air-conditioner — called “coolers” in Japan — and a car. The proportion of households with color TVs rose from only 0.3% in 1966 to 75.8% in 1973, when the Giants won their ninth straight Japan Series championship.

Live TV broadcasts of pro baseball games focused on the Giants, and Nagashima was a TV hero called “Mr. Giants.”

The postwar years of rapid economic growth years have been described as the happiest period in history for the Japanese public. Nagashima was undeniably a symbol of those good years. Asked how he felt about being a symbol of that time, Nagashima said it made him happy. “Personally, I just wanted to play well in games and take professional baseball to higher levels,” he said.

Nagashima became seriously ill in March 2004 due to a cerebral infarction and hovered between life and death. After an arduous rehabilitation process, however, he returned to his social activities.

While he was playing, Nagashima rarely let others see his hard work. However, he did not object to newspapers and TV programs showing his struggles during rehabilitation. “Many people across the nation are suffering from the same illness. I hope they’ll be energized [by seeing my struggles],” he said.

Patients nationwide were encouraged by the sight of Nagashima working hard to get better. The story was included in a junior high school textbook, and some students wrote letters to Nagashima. He sent back cards on which he wrote a kanji character meaning “effort.”

In November 2021, Nagashima became the first baseball player to receive the Order of Culture. “I think this award may be the result of my giving my all to baseball,” he said.

Nagashima was a superstar who was close to the people and shared their lives as the era changed from Showa to Heisei to Reiwa. As a result, he was loved by all.