July 2025 Japan Play Abroad Tour Recap & Photo Log
Interested in Play Abroad?
Days One & Two — July 24 & 25, 2025
We’re off in Nara and Osaka for our second Play Abroad tour in as many months! Our squad is made up of talented 13-14-year-olds from Eastern Washington and across the U.S. Let’s go Odyssey!
We kicked things off with a big welcome dinner at @kuimonoya_wan_official on Thursday night then got rested up for our first game Friday afternoon against the Tadaoka Boys (@tadaokaboys) at Sukematsu Park Baseball.
Before the game, we took part in some pregame practice together and had the chance to get to know each other. Once we hit the field, the Tadaoka Boys showed exactly why they’re one of the top 5 teams in Japan, defeating us convincingly. Japanese youth baseball is unbelievably strong!
Plenty to learn from this experience and we’ve got many more games ahead!
Day Three — July 26
In the morning, the group did a hitting chalk talk with Coach Krusty to work on some fundamentals and mechanics for the evening game.
Afterwards, we got to visit the nearby Matsuda baseball superstore where the players had a field day browsing and buying the extensive catalog of Japanese mitts and gear!
Then we had lunch and drove out to Takashinohama Baseball Field to meet with today’s hosts, Sensyu Boys. The game was very competitive with Sensyu coming out on top, 11-7!
Our hosts were incredibly generous and everyone had a fun time participating in a watermelon smashing post-game, taking photos, signing items, and showing our shared passion for baseball. They also got us sushi bento boxes and so many parents welcomed us!
We’re back at it with a doubleheader tomorrow!
Days Four & Five — July 27 & 28
On Sunday, we had the opportunity to play a doubleheader with our incredible hosts, the Tenri Boys (@tenriboys_official), at Asahi Diamond Industry Mie Factory Baseball Stadium in Iga, Mie!
We had a close loss in the first game and followed it up with a fun mixed match featuring players from both teams as the “Donkeys” beat “United”! Between games, we refueled with a delicious katsu-don lunch on the field. It was a very hot day but we loved every minute of it.
On Monday, we kicked off the day by visiting the renowned Nara Park. Established in 1880, it’s the location of many of Nara’s main attractions including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and the Nara National Museum. It’s also home to hundreds of cute freely roaming deer!
In the evening, we made our way to Takashinohama Baseball Field and played Yeonsu Nine (@nine_youth_baseball_club_), a team from South Korea that’s traveled to Japan just like us! We won the game, 7-6, and had a wonderful cultural exchange!
Day Six — July 29
We started our morning at the Pizzaria Da Dots buffet and had lunch with our opponents and hosts for the day, the Osaka Horie Boys (@osakahorieboys)!
After filling up, we took a short drive to Daisen Park, a historical park with traditional Japanese gardens and the burial mounds of Japan’s ancient royalty. The tombs, “kofun,” are designed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their historical and technical significance and beauty.
Then, we headed to Takashinohama Baseball Field for the second straight day to play the Horie Boys. During the pre-game, their coaches helped us train like Yoshinobu Yamamoto with some javelin throws. The game was very competitive and finished a 4-4 tie!
We capped off the great day with a food truck dinner at the stadium, which included fun summer fireworks and cotton candy. Huge thanks to our wonderful hosts!
Days Seven & Eight — July 30 & 31
We’re done playing baseball…but now it’s time to watch baseball! On Wednesday, the group got their first taste of Japanese baseball at the highest level, seeing the Orix Buffaloes host the Seibu Lions at the Kyocera Dome.
Everyone had a great time trying ballpark food, connecting with local fans, and seeing the home team come away with a 6-4 victory. Hiroya Miyagi, one of the best starting pitchers in NPB, threw six strong innings with nine strikeouts and got the win.
We spent Thursday freely exploring Osaka, making stops at the Pokemon Center and MINT Trading Card Shop before browsing Selection for cool MLB and NPB gear. We then enjoyed some karaoke, where we celebrated the birthdays of Nash, Jordan, and Kaelyn! We also visited the old Osaka Stadium Home Plate and Pitching Rubber as well as the Memorial Gallery of Nankai Hawks.
Our last destination of the trip was the Hirakuza Sumo Show, where we were treated to an excellent cultural experience and dinner. We learned the traditions behind Japan’s national sport, saw real professional sumo wrestlers in action, and much more. Hunter was even picked to wrestle a pro!
So that marks the end of our second ever Play Abroad tour! Thank you all so much for joining us! We’re so grateful for all our amazing hosts and the wonderful memories we made along the way.