Shiki Masaoka

From BR Bullpen

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Tsunenori Masaoka (正岡 子規) ("Noboru", "Shiki")

Biographical Information[edit]

Shiki Masaoka was one of the greatest Japanese poets of the 19th century - an acknowledged master of the art of haiku and tanka. As a young college student, Masaoka became an avid baseball player and fan. He is said to have learned the game directly from Hiraoka Hiroshi, the man who brought baseball to Japan. Chronic health problems, including tuberculosis, eventually prevented Masaoka from playing baseball, but he never gave up his love for the game. He included baseball imagery in many poems, and he is believed to be the one who coined Japanese versions of many baseball terms. His efforts helped to popularize the sport in Japan.

Masaoka was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.