Samurai Japan Begin Preparations for 2026 Asian Games Baseball Tournament
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Samurai Japan have officially started preparations for the 2026 Asian Games baseball tournament, with manager Tomoyasu Kawaguchi opening the team’s training camp at ENEOS Todoroki Ground in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Japan, the host nation for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, will enter the tournament with a corporate league squad as they target their first Asian Games baseball gold medal since 1994.
Japan Retain 14 Players From 2025 Asian Championship Team
The Japanese squad includes 14 players who were part of the team that won the 2025 Asian Baseball Championship.
Among the players attracting attention are right-handed pitcher Kento Nagano, left-arm pitcher Shin Higuchi, and outfielders Masato Shibasaki and Ryosuke Fujisawa. The four players are considered potential first-round selections in the upcoming Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft.
Veteran catcher and team captain Kosuke Aizawa will provide experience to the squad, which also features several players with international tournament backgrounds.
Players With WBSC Experience Included
Several members of Japan’s Asian Games squad have previously represented the country at major international youth tournaments.
Pitcher Wataru Matsuda and catcher Ryo Arima were part of Japan’s title-winning squad at the 2024 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup.
Infielder Masashi Maruyama featured for Japan at the 2022 U-23 Baseball World Cup, while infielder Toyo Kumada represented the country at the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.
The mix of experienced players and younger talent will be central to Japan’s preparations for the Asian Games.
Tomoyasu Kawaguchi Leads Japan
Japan manager Tomoyasu Kawaguchi, born in 1971, has extensive experience in corporate league baseball as a player, coach and executive.
Kawaguchi guided Japan to the 2024 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup title and has also overseen consecutive Asian Championship victories in 2023 and 2025.
His recent success has made him an important part of Japan’s plans as the team prepares for the continental competition on home soil.
Asian Games Baseball Tournament Starts September 21
The baseball competition at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to begin on September 21.
World No. 1 Japan have been placed in Group A, alongside China, the Philippines and Palestine.
Group B features Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand.
Japan won the bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games, while South Korea claimed gold and Chinese Taipei finished with silver.
South Korea and Chinese Taipei Present Strong Competition
South Korea will arrive with a squad made up entirely of professional players contracted to Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs.
Manager Ji-hyun Ryu has selected players generally aged 25 or younger, with three additional Wild Card selections aged 29 or below.
The Korean squad includes several players who featured prominently for the country at the 2024 WBSC Premier12, including Do-yeong Kim, Kwak Bin, Young-hyun Park and Bo-gyeong Moon.
Do-yeong Kim has already recorded 39 home runs, while pitcher Kwak Bin has won 11 games with a 2.26 ERA. Young-hyun Park is expected to play an important role in the bullpen.
Chinese Taipei Brings Experienced Pitching Options
Chinese Taipei’s roster includes 11 professional players as well as former professional pitcher Chih-Jung Liu, who previously reached the Double-A level in the Boston Red Sox organisation.
The team is expected to rely heavily on its pitching depth.
Left-hander Yu-Min Lin has recorded eight wins at Triple-A level with the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Yen-Cheng Wang has won 11 games for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO.
Right-handed pitcher Wen-Hui Pan, who has experience at Double-A level with the Philadelphia Phillies organisation, is also part of the squad. Hsiang-Sheng Hsu, meanwhile, plays for the Yakult Swallows in Japan’s NPB.
Chinese Taipei also has established hitters, including outfielder Chen-Wei Chen of the Rakuten Monkeys and third baseman Chi-Hung Liu of the Wei Chuan Dragons.
Shortstop Po-Hsiang Yang, who attended high school in Japan, has also made his NPB debut with the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
With Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei all entering the competition with experienced squads, the baseball tournament is set to feature several closely watched matchups when the Asian Games begin.
