The First Baseball Game & Home Run at Meiji Jingu Stadium, October 23, 1926
By Bill Staples, Jr.
Meiji Jingu (Shrine) Stadium is approaching its 100th birthday. It opened to the public on October 23, 1926, and is celebrated today as the second-oldest baseball stadium in Japan. The oldest is Hanshin Koshien Stadium (aka Koshien), which opened on August 1, 1924.
Here’s what Meiji Jingu Stadium looked like when it opened in 1926 …
… and here’s what it looks like today.
Source for both images: namu.wiki.
Sadly, the upcoming centennial celebration will take place under a cloud of mourning, as plans are underway to demolish the structure and replace it by or before 2038. Read more about those plans here.
The First Home Run at Meiji
Baseball fans love “firsts,” and for some reason, there appears to be a strong interest in the first home run ever hit at Meiji Jingu Stadium.
Here’s my understanding for the past 20-plus years … on April 29, 1927, Saburo Miyatake of Keio University hit a home run that many believed was the first ever at the historic ballpark. Decades later, historians reminded the baseball world that Philadelphia Royal Giants’ Biz Mackey actually held that distinction. Mackey hit one over the fence on April 20 -- nine days before Miyatake’s blast.
Photos: Saburo Miyatake (left) and James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey (right),
But perhaps all that changes today? With the 100th anniversary of the opening of Meiji Jingu Stadium approaching, I thought it would be worthwhile to revisit THE FIRST BASEBALL GAME played at this historic ballpark. A quick search of the Japan Times archive reveals that the first baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium took place on October 23, 1926 (full details below).
According to the game recap, to my surprise, another player was credited with hitting THE FIRST HOME RUN in the historic stadium. “Kumagae Hits Homer,” the Times reported. Here’s the details:
“Kumagae, the husky Meiji centerfield playing the same position for the Whites scored their only run of the contest by slamming a home run into the left field bleachers and thrilled the baseball mad public every time he came to bat with his lofty flies to the outfield.
His Bambino wallop came in the third inning with nobody on the base at the time. With one strike and no balls on him he met one of Adzuma’s (sp?) slants squarely on the nose and sent a towering fly over leftfielder’s head. The ball landed some fifteen feet in front of the stands and hopped on a single bound into the bleachers for a homer while he gleefully trotted around the bags for the first home run at the Meiji Shrine Park.”
Source: "Meiji Shrine Baseball Park Is Formally Opened by Prince Regent Before 30,000 People," The Japan Times and Mail, October 24, 1926, 1.
First, Revisiting the 1926 Rules
In today’s game, when a ball bounces on the ground and enters the stands, it’s considered a ground-rule double. In 1926, however, it was considered a home run. Under the official baseball rules of that era, any fair batted ball that cleared the outfield wall or entered the stands, whether on the fly or by bouncing on the field first, was credited as a home run. (Note: The only exception was a modification that “a ball going out of play in fair territory had to travel at least 250 feet to be called a home run; if it cleared a short fence or partition under 250 feet, it was a double.”)
The rules changed four years later. In the U.S., the American League modified the rule prior to the 1930 season, and the National League followed suit in December 1930, establishing that a bounced ball would only be awarded two bases starting in 1931. Given the frequent baseball exchanges between the U.S. and Japan during the early 1930s, it’s assumed that Japanese baseball followed suit shortly thereafter.
Photo: “Kumagae” - Meiji University, 1924
Source: https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/panoram/id/25/
Second, Who is “Kumagae”?
According to records tracking immigration to and from Japan, the Meiji player’s full name is Fukashi Kumagai (surname sometimes written as “Kumagae” and “Kumagaya” in vital records and the press). He was born in late 1903 or early 1904 in the village of Seba (Seba-mura) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Physically, he was listed as 5 feet 7 inches tall and possessed a fair complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. He was close to his brother, K. Kumagai, whom he listed as his contact back home in Nagano.
While a student at Meiji University, Kumagai traveled to the U.S., participating in international tours that took him to the mainland and Hawaii. In June 1924, at 21 years old, he departed from Tokyo and arrived in Honolulu aboard the Taiyo Maru for a two-week stay. His first name was listed as “Gen” in the 1924 arrival record and repeated as “G. Kumagai” in the Hawaiian press. His departing records listed his given name as “Fukashi”. The following year, in June 1925, he undertook another transpacific voyage, arriving in Honolulu aboard the Tenyo Maru for a month-long summer tour. His first name is repeated as “Fukashi” in the 1925 record.
Photo: Meiji University, 1924 U.S. Tour, “The men in the picture are, top row, left to right, Nakamura, pitcher; Okada, manager; Nakagawa, pitcher. Second row: Yokozawa, second base; Yasuda, pitcher; Otsuki, director; Hayashi, shortstop; Nidegawa right field. Bottom row: Umeda, catcher: Amachi, first base; Kure, third base; Yuasa, pitcher; Daimon, catcher; Inaba (captain), third base; Kumagai, center field.” Image source: Prestige Collectibles.
His travel documentation from this second American trip explicitly connected him to the Meiji University (Meiji Daigaku) lodging house in Tokyo, and ship manifests place him in the traveling company of fellow Japanese nationals and 1925 Meiji teammates Kinzo Nakagawa and Tatsumi Zenimura—the cousin of Japanese-American baseball pioneer Kenichi Zenimura.
The power Kumagai displayed at Meiji Jingu was no fluke. The box scores of his games in the U.S. during the 1924 tour reveal that he terrorized pitchers from coast to coast.
Photo: Daily News, June 6, 1924, Page 32. via Newspapers.com (
In fact, he hit a game-winning home run to defeat the University of Nebraska, 4-3, on May 20.
Photo: Meiji University baseball team visits Hawaii, June 1925. “F. Kumagai” front row, far right.
Meiji Jingu Stadium Firsts - Summary
To recap, here are the notable baseball firsts at Meiji Jingu Stadium:
- First baseball game played – October 23, 1926, University All-Star Game, Red vs. White Squads. Red 5, White 1.
- First Home Run (in the score books) – October 23, 1926, Fukashi Kumagai (Meiji University), off right-handed pitcher Takeo Azuma (Imperial University), 3rd inning, to tie the game 1-1. (Note: Kumagai MIGHT also hold the distinction of hitting the first home run in Tokyo Big Six University Baseball League history, per this source:
http://meiji-bbc.net/introduction/chronology/1910/ - First Home Run (on the fly) – April 20, 1927, Biz Mackey (Phil. Royal Giants) off Hawaiian pitcher Tom Tomiyama (Fresno Athletic Club) in a 9-1 victory for the Royal Giants.
- First Home Run (on the fly, by Japanese player) – April 29, 1927, Saburo Miyatake (Keio University), off right-handed pitcher Takeo Azuma (Imperial University), in a 15-0 victory for Keio. Note: From the Japan Times, April 30, 1927 – “Miyatake distinguished himself as the first Japanese player to clout a homer into the left-field bleachers.”
What became of Kumagai?
And finally, there are no easily identifiable records of Fukashi Kumagai in Japanese baseball after he left Meiji University in 1927. He’s spotted playing briefly with Sundai, the Meiji University alumni ballclub in 1926, but nothing after that. The case is not closed, though, as it seems highly unlikely that a player of his caliber didn’t remain in the game into his prime playing years (circa 1930). With that, the story of Fukashi Kumagai is to be continued.
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The Historic First Game Recap
Below is the complete article featured in The Japan Times & Mail, from October 24, 1926, detailing the first baseball game played at Meiji Jingu Stadium.
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Meiji Shrine Baseball Park Is Formally Opened By Prince Regent Before 30,000 People
The Meiji Jingu Baseball park, which is one of the finest in the Orient and capable of seating over 30,000 spectators was formally opened on Saturday afternoon by His Imperial Highness The Prince Regent before a capacity crowd which filled to overflowing the spacious stands on all sides of the field. Field Marshal H. I. H. Prince Kan-in was also present and took part in the ceremonies; Prince Tokugawa representing the Meiji Shrine Hosankai and Hamaguchi, the Home Minister, representing the Government likewise helped in the formalities while Professor Abe of Waseda, the father of Japanese Baseball, spoke on behalf of the ball players.
General H. Ichinoye, Chief Shinto Priest, pitched the first ball which started the Yokohama and Tokyo All-star middle school teams on their way to the first game at the new ball grounds. After this contest was over which was won by the Capital city players by five runs to three, twenty-five teams including all the college squads in the Kanto Intercollegiate baseball league marched around the field amid thunderous applause of all the fans. Then after singing the National Anthem the fans seated themselves and began to enjoy one of the most interesting games put up by the two picked teams from the Kanto loop.
Reds Beat Whites
The Red nine captained by Hayashi of the Meiji defeated the Whites under the leadership of Seki of Waseda by five runs to one. Adzuma, the star Imperial pitcher was the big star of the afternoon. He held the opponents to one run and five hits during the first five innings and single-handed scored two runs himself, while knocking in another run by some mighty slugging.
Kumagae Hits Homer
Kumagae, the husky Meiji centerfielder playing the same position for the Whites scored their only run of the contest by slamming a home run into the left field bleachers and thrilled the baseball mad public every time he came to bat with his lofty flies to the outfield.
His Bambino wallop came in the third inning with nobody on the base at the time. With one strike and no balls on him he met one of Adzuma’s slants squarely on the nose and sent a towering fly over leftfielder’s head. The ball landed some fifteen feet in front of the stands and hopped on a single bound into the bleachers for a homer while he gleefully trotted around the bags for the first home run at the Meiji Shrine Park.
Nakatsugawa, the Waseda slab artist worked on the mound for the Whites and although he pitched a fairly good game he was touched up for timely hits at opportune moments when hits meant runs and was forced to take the short end of the five-one score.
The winners scored their first run in the second inning when Adzuma singled as a starter, went to second on a bunt, advanced to third on a infield out and came home when Sakai grounded to short. The Whites tied up the count in the next frame of Kumagae’s lofty hit but the Reds clinched the contest in the fourth frame when they scored three more runs.
Nakagawa Starts Rally
Nakagawa initiated the attack by pumping a clean single to center. Azuma brought him home with a triple to right center. Seki was safe on an error by Akita. Hara grounded out to short and Seki advanced to second while Adzuma still held third base. Sakai walked, filling the bases with one down. Murakami flied out to first on a short pop fly. Shimizu sent a Texas Leaguer to left and two more counters tickled over the plate.
Yada, the second Imperial pitcher replaced Adzuma after the fifth inning and he kept up the good work started by his teammate by holding the losers runless for the last four innings while his Red mates added another run in the sixth inning to bring the scoring for the day to five runs.
The Line-ups:
Summary: Home run, Kumagae; Three-base, Adzuma, Sakai; Sacrifice hits, Arai, Seki; Stolen bases, Sakai; Base on balls, Nakatsugawa 3, Adzuma 1; Struck out by Nakatsugawa 3; Left on bases, Whites 6, Reds 5; Double play, Hongo to Akita to Kaino; Wild Pitch, Adzuma 1; Hit batsman, Adzuma 1; One run and 5 hits off Adzuma in 5 innings; no runs and 2 hits off Yada in forth [four] innings; credit victory to Adzuma; Time 1:43; Umpires, Nagahama, Ichimura, and Fujita.
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Original Article: "Meiji Shrine Baseball Park Is Formally Opened by Prince Regent Before 30,000 People," The Japan Times and Mail, October 24, 1926, 1.
