Hideki Matsui: Sportsmanship, Modesty, and the Art of the Home Run

In this unique and meaningful book, Shizuka Ijuin, an award-winning author and a friend of baseball legend Hideki Matsui, profiles the beloved New York Yankee–a world-class athlete who exemplifies a quality that Ijuin believes is central to success and well-being: modesty.

Hideki Matsui embodies the Eastern virtue that combines compassion and self-effacement with high achievement. Born in a northern coastal town of Japan, Matsui was a phenomenon by the time he was a teenager, playing baseball in the famous high school league tournament at the Koshien Stadium and nicknamed “the wunderkind from the North.” His character was formed early on: Matsuis father once taught him not to complain about an opposing pitcher who had intentionally walked him five times in a row, for, his father asserted, the other boy was enduring something even worse. As class president and high school team captain, Matsui spoke out against verbal abuse and bullying.

Turning pro with the prestigious Yomiuri Giants, Matsui became the best hitter in the league, a national hero whose feats on the field lifted fans spirits. Matsui feared that his admirers would feel betrayed when he joined the Major Leagues in America, but instead they urged him on, asking only that he continue to make them proud.

And Matsui has done exactly that, with his accomplishments and the dignified manner in which he has behaved. Matsui has set a high public standard, visiting Ground Zero soon after his arrival in the United States, sending relief money to earthquake victims and tsunami survivors, and always acting with modesty.

But this book is more than an inspiring portrait of a sportsman with the soul of a stoic modern samurai. Shizuka Ijuin explains the role modesty plays in Japanese culture, showing, for instance, how Japanese Little Leaguers start games by properly greeting their elders, thereby learning that respect is more important than scoring.

Hideki Matsui: Sportsmanship, Modesty, and the Art of the Home Run is a book sure to stand the test of time, transcending sports to express a philosophy of life.

With the full cooperation of New York Yankee Hideki Matsui, Ijuin, a close friend of the baseball superstar, explores modesty as a virtue and gives insight into how the sport of baseball is perceived in Japan and how that culture nurtures their players.

Shizuka Ijuin aspired to be a professional baseball player before a shoulder injury thwarted his boyhood dream. After successful stints as an advertising executive, a commercial director, and a pop song writer, Ijuin became an acclaimed author. He met Hideki Matsui after receiving the Naoki Prize for Ukezuki (The Waxing Moon), a collection of short stories about baseball. Other honors include the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award for new writers for Nyubo (The Breast); the Naoki Prize for Ukezuki (The Month of Accepting); the Shibata Renzaburo Award for Kikansha Sensei (Locomotive Teacher); and the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award for Goro goro. He lives in Tokyo with his wife.