Softball - Yokohama Sports Teams Special

Softball, a sport derived from baseball, has similar basic rules but the ground is smaller and the ball is larger than in baseball, making it more difficult to throw long distances. Softball also has its own rules regarding pitching, which is limited to "underhand" throws. Softball can be played in a smaller space than baseball, and the range of movement is narrower, so it can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders.
In the Olympics, only women's softball was adopted as an official sport from the 1996 Atlanta Games and continued to be played until the 2008 Beijing Games. It was later removed as an official sport, but was reintroduced for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Japan has won gold medals in Beijing and Tokyo, and has become a strong team globally.

Tips for a better sports experience!
Spectator's Guide

POINT1

The appeal of softball is its speed! The distance between the pitcher and batter and the bases is short, so you have to play smoothly and at high speed to get outs.

POINT2

The changing pitches, which are not seen in baseball, are also a highlight. The riseball, a pitch that appears to be a fastball, the low fly ball, which floats up, and the changeup, which floats down, etc. You’ll enjoy softball games better if you know these unique softball pitches before watching a game.

POINT3

The Japanese national softball team is often a regular candidate to win the Olympics and world championships. JD.LEAGUE, Japan's top softball league, is where you can closely watch the world's best players, not only Japan's leading players, but also famous players from around the world.

POINT4

One of the rules of softball is "re-entry (re-entering the game)," which allows substituted players to re-enter the game under certain conditions. This rule allows for a wider range of substitutions, which makes for a more varied strategy.

*Information of teams, players, uniforms and uniform numbers are as of March 2023.

Hitachi Sundiva

The women's softball team in the JD.LEAGUE, founded in 1985 as the "Hitachi Software Women's Softball Club," named after the "soft" in the plant's name, as a symbolic sport of the Hitachi, Ltd. software plant.
The team was promoted to the first division of the Japan League in 1990, and won its first championship in 2000. It has won the National Sports Festival nine times and has produced many players who have represented Japan in international tournaments such as the Olympics.
While working to strengthen the team with the goal of becoming Japan's No. 1 team, Hitachi Sundiva also contributes to society by promoting local sports through softball workshops at schools in Yokohama and other cities, and by popularizing softball through the "Sundiva Channel" on YouTube.
Team Information
Contact Hitachi Softball Club Office, Hitachi, Ltd.
Address 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama
Official website (match information) https://www.hitachi.co.jp/Div/soft/SOFTBALL/
Official blog http://hitachiblog.lekumo.biz/softball/