tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480658377503163749.post4701400534292109812..comments2024-03-18T20:02:22.746-04:00Comments on Japanese Baseball Cards: UniformsNPB Card Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01178497208404127283noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480658377503163749.post-53673694146391220382012-11-05T22:45:25.342-05:002012-11-05T22:45:25.342-05:00I wrote to Japanese baseball historian Yoichi Naga...I wrote to Japanese baseball historian Yoichi Nagata for his thoughts on the subject. This is what he had to say:<br /><br /> "Baseball came from the States. This must be the biggest reason. Hove you ever seen Japanese high school uniforms? Some are written in Japanese, but most of them in English.<br />Do you remember when baseball words were forced to change into Japanese? Yes, it happened during the war. It is not the time of war, but of peace.<br />Besides those reasons, this is another one that Japanese have been adoring things western since Japan tried to catch up with western countries in the Meiji restoration." <br /><br />I'm thinking that these reasons likely translate to English usage on Japanese cards, as well as on uniforms and cards in Taiwan and Korea as well.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758874137558511992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480658377503163749.post-84560286977107776222012-11-05T14:15:27.030-05:002012-11-05T14:15:27.030-05:00An excellent question. Not sure I have an equally...An excellent question. Not sure I have an equally excellent answer. The first Japanese cards to have English on them (I think) were the 1989 Lotte cards. Calbee switched in the middle of 1989 (in response to Lotte I assume) from not including the player names in English to including them. For the most part, Calbee has included them ever since. WIth a couple exception, BBM has always had the player names in English. Takara never did. I suspect that the main reason was marketing - making the cards more attractive to the US card market, but that's just a guess.NPB Card Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01178497208404127283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480658377503163749.post-66248535181594317562012-11-05T12:43:24.088-05:002012-11-05T12:43:24.088-05:00Also, why is there English on Japanese Baseball Ca...Also, why is there English on Japanese Baseball Cards? I had to ask :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480658377503163749.post-59739460207450077192012-11-05T03:51:46.396-05:002012-11-05T03:51:46.396-05:00An interesting topic. I'd be interested in hea...An interesting topic. I'd be interested in hearing what a Japanese historian might have to say. I wonder to what extent written English was being used in other aspects of Japanese daily life in those early years. Since the Japanese greatly admired the American game,it doesn't seem too odd that they'd be attracted to the use of English names written in the Roman alphabet for uniforms. For them it's exotic and attracts attention which is good for business. I think the post-war reasons would be much the same only more so because of the closer relationship.Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758874137558511992noreply@blogger.com