Pro and amateur organizations met today in order to continue discussions on what kind of training courses former professional players will need to take in order to earn licenses to coach amateur baseball.  Both sides have moved closer to a final agreement but still need to work out a number of minor issues, like how many applicants will be allowed to take the training courses during the first year.  The two sides will meet again on June 11.  If discussions continue to move along smoothly, decisions could be finalized during meetings on June 14 (Japan High School Baseball Federation board of directors and trustees meeting) and June 18 (Japan Student Baseball Association board of directors meeting).

Source: Sponichi 5/16/2013

Pro and amateur baseball organizations met on Friday to discuss specifics about the training courses pro players will need to take in order to earn licenses that will allow them to coach at the amateur level.

Some take-aways taken from various articles:

• The pro side would like to see the courses opened up to about 1,000 candidates in the first year.  The amateur side wants to start with anywhere between 70 to 100.
• The training course will be organized by both pro and amateur organizations.
• The first training course could be held in November at two locations: Tokyo and Osaka (500 openings each).  The course will be offered over a three day period in five-hour segments each day.  For all intents and purposes, everyone that takes the course will pass.
• There will be some sort of a test, or multiple kinds of tests (written/aptitude).
• After candidates have taken courses held by both pro and amateur organizations, they will take a three-day training program in February.  Candidates that have taken all the courses will be listed on the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association website.
• Deliberations will continue into May.  The biggest problem right now is the number of candidates to allow.

Source: jiji press 4/26/2013, Sponichi 4/26/2013, Sports Hochi 4/27/2013, Sponichi 4/27/2013, Daily Sports 4/27/2013

The 2013 All Japan University Championships will take place between June 11 and 16 this year (not including possible rain outs).

Schedule

The Yokohama Bay Stars, the Kanagawa Baseball Association, and the Kanagawa University Baseball League announced today that the 2013 Kanagawa Prefecture Baseball Tournament is scheduled to take place at Yokosuke Stadium on August 20 and 21.  This will be the first time all three groups will be competing in one tournament.  Admission will be free.

The following six teams will participate:

• Ni-gun Yokohama Bay Stars
• Three Industrial League teams: JX-ENEOS, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Juko Yokohama
• Top two university teams from the KUBL spring league

Schedule

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Source: Nikkan Sports 3/25/2013, official announcement (Yokohama Bay Stars)

Meiji University will be in the US for spring camp between February 7 and March 17.

Below is the schedule:

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UPDATE 3/9 @ 2:37pm -

The Pepperdine University game ended in a 1-1 tie.  Source: Twitter

UPDATE 3/13 @ 1:51pm -

Yavapai College beat Meiji University, 4-1.  Source: GameChanger

The Dodgers MiLB team beat Meiji University, 5-2.  Source: Twitter

The All Japan University Baseball Federation announced today that Hitoki Yokoi (Tokai University manager), Hideyuki Suzuki (Kansai Kokusai University), and Yasutaka Toriyama (Kokugakuin University) were named coaches of the Japan National University Baseball Team during a board of directors meeting today.  Their terms will last one year.

Source: Sponichi 2/13/2013

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The Tokyo Big6 Baseball League announced that it will play an All-Star game at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka on August 31 -- players from the six universities will be split up into two teams and play a night game.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/13/2013

The Zen Nihon Amateur Yakyu Renmei (Baseball Federation of Japan) held a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday and formally decided to switch their name to Zen Nihon Yakyu Kyokai (not sure how the English name will change) when their status changes to ippan zaidan hojin status (general incorporated foundation) on April 1.

The Japan Rubber Baseball Association (全日本軟式野球連盟) is also set to become a part of their network.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

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The Japan Amateur Baseball Rules and Regulations Committee met on Wednesday and agreed to introduce a licensing system for umpires.  Planning and preparation will require two years.  The new system will come into effect on January 1, 2015.

There will be four levels to the license: S-kyu, 1-kyu, 2-kyu, and 3-kyu.  Umpires with an 1-kyu or above license will be able to work major domestic tournaments, like the Inter-city Tournament and the All Japan University Championship.

The licenses will not apply to the Koshien tournaments.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

UPDATE @ 5:23pm - A little more on the levels.  Umpires will be able to earn the basic 3-kyu license by taking a training course.  After that they will have to take tests and wait at least three years in between each new level.

Source: Sponichi 2/6/2013

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The Japan High School Baseball Federation sent two notices out to all federation members on Wednesday.

1. all participating members should take any necessary steps to eradicate physical punishment (by coaches and players) and bullying
2. all participating members must create an itemized list of expenses when accepting reimbursement money from caregivers.  The list should contain expenses incurred when coaches travel with players on trips to places like potential job sites or universities (places the player might go to after they graduate).

Source: Sponichi 2/6/2013

The All Japan University Baseball Federation (JUBF) held a manager meeting today in Yokohama and officially selected fifty-year-old Tatsuya Yoshinami (Meiji University) as the new manager of the Japan national college baseball team.  His term will last three years and will begin with the Japan - USA University Baseball Championships later this summer.

Source: Nikkan Sports 1/22/2013

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UPDATE @ 9:37pm - The JUBF also decided that they will only allow players to use bats made by manufacturers registered with the All Japan Baseball Bat Manufacturer's Association during regular season games.

Additionally, Yoshiki Iwai (Kokusai Budo University) will remain chairman of the Manager Group.

Source: Sponichi 1/22/2013

The Tohto University Baseball League will be sending a team of first and second year students from their league to Australia next year (February 24 - March 3).  They will play a three-game series, dubbed the Kagaroo Cup, against a team of Australian amateur players, twenty-three years and younger.  Toyo University manager Akio Takahashi has been tasked to manage the team.

Source: Nikkan Sports 12/19/2012

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About six hundred people attended an Asia University championship celebration that was held at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 12/19/2012, Sponichi 12/19/2012

Thirty-eight coaches from various levels (little league through to college) attended a seminar for amateur coaches today.  It was hosted by the Japan Baseball Promotion Association and took place at the Yokohama Bay Stars' indoor training facilities in Yokosuka, Kanagawa.  Former players Akio Saito, Yoshihisa Nishi, Naoki Sugiyama, Hiroshi Sato, and Shinsaku Takahira made appearances as lecturers.  The seminar lasted about four hours.

Source: Nikkan Sports 12/16/2012