The team name of the children’s baseball team of the Ogasawara village is “Ogasawara Fighters”, which comes from the name of the team that the goodwill tourism ambassador belonged to. On July 19, 1999, the Ogasawara Fighters participated in the prime knock (an event where members of children’s teams can take fielding practices on the baseball ground before the game). After informing this to the goodwill tourism ambassador, he agreed to meet with the children before the game and it became an unforgettable experience for them. Mr. Ogasawara said to the children, “Enjoy playing baseball and have fun with everybody.” A letter written by the children was also given, with the captain of the team, Tamura, reading it aloud to Mr. Ogasawara.
After learning that the Ogasawara Fighters did not have a uniform, Mr. Ogasawara secretly prepared one for the children. The children were nervous enough to be able to speak with him, and then he suddenly said, “I have a present for you.” When he handed the uniform the children had mixed expressions of surprise and joy on their faces. When Mr. Ogasawara told them to try it on, they all smiled and began showing each other their new uniforms.
We have a relationship with Mr. Ogasawara as a goodwill tourism ambassador, and we are truly grateful for his thoughtful consideration for the children of Ogasawara. The children of Ogasawara have been stimulated to practice harder after returning to the island. Thank you, Mr. Ogasawara.
The children wore this new uniform in their practice game that had been scheduled during their stay in Tokyo. The gifted uniforms are taken care of by the team.
Photos from the event
