July 2026 Long Beach Japan Play Abroad Tour Recap & Photo Log
Interested in Play Abroad?
Days One & Two — July 10 & 11, 2026
We’re off in Japan on our Play Abroad trip with @lbworldbaseball!
After everyone arrived in Osaka, the group came together for our welcome dinner buffet on Friday, giving players, families, and staff a chance to meet one another before an exciting week of baseball and cultural experiences!
The following morning, we boarded our chartered bus and traveled to Nagoya, making a stop at Kuko Batting Center, where a young Ichiro Suzuki famously developed his legendary swing. We were lucky enough to be joined this time by former NPB catcher Shingo Takeyama, who caught legendary pitchers like All-Time Saves Leader Hitoki Iwase! We’re so greatful for his participation and all the expertise he provided us as he offered the kids one-on-one coaching on their swings!
From there, we enjoyed lunch at Bajoyutaka Sushi, one of Ichiro’s favorite restaurants before continuing by bus to Vantelin Dome Nagoya for a Nippon Professional Baseball game. Everyone got their first taste of Japanese professional baseball as the Chunichi Dragons smashed 3 home runs en route to an 8-1 victory over the Hiroshima Carp. Always fun to see a home team victory!
Tomorrow, our journey takes us to Yokkaichi, Long Beach’s sister city, for our first Little League game of the trip!
Day Three — July 12
Today marked the beginning of the baseball exchange portion of our tour!
After boarding our chartered bus in Nagoya, we made our way to Yokkaichi Dome to meet our hosts from Tokiwa Baseball Club (@tokiwa.89.2002).
We received a very warm welcome from our hosts and immediately got to know one another with an incredible sister city ceremony and a bento lunch together while exchanging gifts to celebrate the friendship between our two teams and cities.
Then, it was time to play ball! It was so awesome to play at the dome. The Tokiwa boys and girls had great fundamentals and technique but we put up a good fight, ultimately coming up just short by a score of 16-12! The local television station was there to cover it too!
Following the game, everyone gathered for a yakiniku dinner, where players, coaches, and families continued building friendships over a great meal before saying goodbye. The kids had so much fun with one another despite the language barrier!
A huge thank you to everyone at Tokiwa Baseball Club and US consulate for their amazing hospitality and gifts! We truly appreciate everything and the Long Beach Little League hopes to see you in California in the future!
Day Four — July 13
After spending the morning exploring some nearby sites in Nara, we grabbed lunch together before hopping on the bus for a bit of a drive to meet our hosts, Sango TFB (@sangotfb35)!
The kids participated in joint warmups before playing not just one but two games today — first a regular matchup, then a mixed-team game with Japanese and American players on the same side! By the end of the afternoon, it didn’t matter who was from Long Beach and who was from Sango.
Everyone was laughing in the dugout, cheering each other on, and trying their best to communicate however they could. The Sango boys are so fundamentally skilled! Sango is also famous for its traditional sandals, so many of us appreciated the chance to try them on and pick up a pair to take home as a unique souvenir from our time in Nara.
Following the games, we exchanged gifts and headed to World Buffet Nara Koryo for dinner with our hosts, where players from both teams sat together and continued building friendships off the field. Baseball really is a universal language.
Thank you so much to Sango TFB for welcoming us and giving our players and families memories they’ll never forget. We hope to see you all again someday!
Day Five — July 14
Tuesday began with a guided tour of Nara Park and Todai-ji as the group spent the morning meeting the famous deer and exploring one of Japan’s most iconic landmarks.
In the afternoon, we made a quick stop at the Matsuda Sports store nearby our hotel and had the opportunity to buy some awesome Japanese baseball gear! Then, we made our way to Kashiwagi Park to meet our hosts Koriyama Fresh (@koriyama_fresh), who we also visited last August! It was wonderful to catch up with so many familiar faces and see the friendships between our organizations continue to grow.
The players took part in an extended joint practice before the game, including fungo and batting practice while we waited for the sun to set and the air to cool down a bit. We then played a proper 2 hour game before gathering together for bento dinners at the field.
By this point in the tour, the Long Beach players have become pros at making friends through baseball, and we had such an amazing time with our wonderful hosts.
A massive thank you to everyone at Koriyama Fresh for welcoming us back and for another fantastic day of baseball, friendship, and cultural exchange. We can’t wait to see you all again soon!
Day Six — July 15
Wednesday marked our final baseball exchange of the trip!
We started the day with a group lunch at Gusto before making our way to Tenrikyo Youth Development Square to meet our hosts, Tenri Chibi Club (@tenchibi_baseball123), another team (with older players) we had the pleasure of visiting last summer!
After a week in Japan, the Long Beach players looked right at home on the field for the joint pregame warmups. Then, there were plenty of great plays and exciting moments shared between the two teams throughout the afternoon as we duked out a competitive 10-10 draw!
But the day didn’t end with the last out as Tenri went above and beyond to give our group a memorable experience for dinner. They taught the kids how to make onigiri, demonstrated traditional Japanese instruments, and organized games for the whole family.
P.S. some of us enjoyed some late night karaoke too!
Thank you so much to everyone at Tenri Chibi Club for the incredible hospitality and helping us close out the baseball portion of the tour on such a high note. Until next time!
Day Seven — July 16
For our final day of the tour, we returned to where it all began: Osaka!
Families spent the afternoon exploring Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, shopping for souvenirs, visiting the Pokémon Center, trying local favorites like takoyaki, and, of course, grabbing some Cremia ice cream.
Later, the group got back together for an hour of karaoke, which quickly became one of the highlights of the trip. So much fun!
We wrapped up the tour with one final cultural experience at the Hirakuza Sumo Dinner Show. On this occasion, all of the kids were invited onto the dohyo with the wrestlers, giving them an up-close introduction to Japan’s national sport and the perfect conclusion to an incredible trip.
Over the course of a week, our players not only experienced Japan, but also formed friendships through the game we all love. From taking swings where Ichiro once trained to playing four different Japanese teams, this was a trip our Long Beach families will never forget.
Thank you again to Tokiwa Baseball Club, Sango TFB, Koriyama Fresh, and Tenri Chibi Club for opening your communities to us and showing us the very best of Japanese hospitality.
And finally, thank you to all of our players, parents, and coaches for making this Long Beach Little League 10U Play Abroad tour so special. Until next time!