Hello to all! It is almost October now, and both in America and Japan, the playoffs for baseball will be starting soon. To get ready for this exciting time, I recommend watching a great Hollywood baseball movie.
Mr. Baseball was released in 1992 and is, of course, about baseball and, surprisingly, our beloved city of Nagoya! Tom Selleck is the star of the movie, and he plays an aging baseball star in America who has to move to Japan to continue his career. At first, he is not happy about this change, but he soon begins to love the country, culture and people.
Also, all of our students will find it interesting that Tom Selleck’s character plays for the Chunichi Dragons in the movie. Therefore, he lives in Nagoya, and there are many scenes in the movie that were shot in the city. For example, he and Japanese actress Aya Takanashi visit Osu Kannon and walk around the Osu area. You can see a still image from the movie below of the two actors at the famous Nagoya temple.
Another scene in the movie features a group of baseball players from other countries gathered at an American-style bar. They watch American baseball games and talk about their careers in that scene. This was filmed at the bar now named Shooters which is near Fushimi Station.
If you feel a like a bit of early 90’s nostalgia, please watch Mr. Baseball. It is sometimes strange how they discuss Japanese culture in the film, but in the end, it seems like the directors and producers have a lot of love and respect for the country. Check it out for yourself and discuss what you think with your BRIDGE teachers.
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