Courtesy Jon Kaji
North High School principal Paul Niitake, Coach Toru Ohtani, Mayor George Chen, Councilman Jon Kaji and management intern Larissa Lawson during the opening ceremonies on Aug. 8 at North High.
By MILES ANDERSON
Special to The Rafu
At a time when the world seems to be pulling itself apart at the seams, it’s nice to know that there are those working tirelessly to build bridges and bring people together.
Last weekend, we saw the efforts of some of those folks play out in the latest version of the Japan x USA Friendship Games in Torrance.
The Friendship Games are intended to celebrate the friendship between the U.S. and Japan through baseball while providing young players with the opportunity to experience different cultures and baseball styles.
The program has been running in some form for the past 15 years or so and has always involved high school-age baseball teams from the South Bay visiting Japan to partake in America’s pastime, or vice versa.
In addition to on-field activities, the program fosters cultural exchange and understanding through homestays and other group activities.
Photos courtesy of IGE_Photography and 310baseball
Charles “Chuck” Ono, founder of 310 Baseball, a non-profit travel baseball program serving Torrance, Redondo Beach, and surrounding cities for ages 10U through high school, developed the concept. “I wanted to promote something beyond just baseball,” Ono said, “We’re not here looking to nurture the Shohei Ohtani’s or Mike Trout’s of the world. I hope that these kids will genuinely benefit from this experience, and you never know, some may cross borders and pursue dreams because of things we were able to share with them.
310 Baseball said in a statement last week, “What an incredible day as we took our guests … to Dodger Stadium to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play during the first week of the USA x Japan Friendship Games! From the roar of the crowd to seeing their favorite players in action, this unforgettable trip added a special touch to their experience. Beyond the games played and the bonds formed on the field, moments like these highlight the power of baseball to create lasting connections and lifelong memories. Here’s to more shared experiences, incredible friendships, and celebrating the love of the game together!”
This year’s expanded event included support and active participation from the City of Torrance, major sponsorship from Toyota Hydrogen Solutions, a celebrity manager overseeing the Oshu team in the person of Toru Ohtani (Shohei’s dad), and 20 highly skilled high school players from Japan; not to mention the host families that housed all of the participants from Japan and the community that showed up en masse to support the games.
In bringing this year’s event to realization, 310 Baseball reached out to the City of Torrance two years ago with the concept, and since then, the city, behind the leadership of Torrance Mayor George Chen and the City Council, has been actively involved in planning, supporting, and executing Ono’s vision.
Recognizing the enormous popularity of the Dodgers’ Japanese-born stars, Shohei Ohtani and pitching ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Torrance officials contacted both of their hometowns, and in 2024 designated Oshu, Iwate Prefecture and Bizen, Okayama Prefecture as friendship cities with the idea of fostering educational, cultural, and economic exchanges between the cities.
Chen sees the games and outreach to Oshu and Bizen in more than just the context of baseball, but as an opportunity to “propel the City of Torrance not just nationally but internationally as a place where you can develop economically, you can develop athletically, and it’s got good school systems so you can raise your family here. So it’s a win-win on every prong that we need.”
This year’s games consisted of six exhibition games played over three days. The on-field action in the opening game on Aug. 9 at Kendall Field didn’t disappoint as Oshu edged the Torrance High School Tartars by a score of 1-0, with Torrance stranding men on second and third to end the game. Oshu won all of the matches.
After the game, Kenshin Suzuki, a 14-year-old catcher for Oshu on his first visit to the U.S., noted through an interpreter that there were some differences the Japanese team had to adjust to — the baseball used in the U.S. has a slightly larger diameter than the Japanese ball, and he and his teammates were also impressed with the power of American hitters.
Rob Ybarra, head baseball coach at Torrance High School, has strong praise for the Oshu squad, saying, “I really like the discipline that they had at the plate, the way they took care of the baseball. You can tell that the small details are not too small, no detail is going to be too small or too big for them. They really looked good.”
Akira Kamei, Oshu’s strategic planning officer, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the city. “It’s a really great opportunity for not only the city but for the kids. I’m really honored to be involved with the established friendship between Torrance and Oshu and also this brand new event. It’s really hard work, but everyone supported us and the City of Oshu is honored to be here.”
The event ran from Aug. 8 to 10, with games at North High School, Kendall Field, and South High School. The event was sponsored by Toyota Hydrogen Solutions, Torrance Unified School District, Skechers, and others. Craig Scott, general manager and director of fuel cell solutions for Toyota Motor North America, commented, “It’s really amazing when we can bridge this gap between the Pacific and reinforce the long-standing tradition that is already here in Torrance between families.”
Ono plans to expand the event in the future, possibly including other countries.
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