The Brooklyn Dodgers, with the team's fabled "Boys of Summer" aging, still managed to win the 1956 NL pennant, but lost the World Series in seven games to the New York Yankees. Eighteen hours after the World Series ended, the Dodgers left New York to fly to Los Angeles on the first leg of the team's scheduled 20 game Tour of Japan. Offered is a 1956 Tour of Japan Collection, with two items: A souvenir program or sports magazine focusing on the Dodgers' 1956 goodwill tour of Japan and a Japan-U.S. Baseball Tournament Committee Member Press Pin, with box. 

The souvenir program measures approx. 7.25x10.25", and it has 28 pages, including covers. The cover of the program has a color image of Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe superimposed over an image of Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. A translation of the Japanese writing on the cover reads, "1956 - 5th Japanese Baseball Tour." Inside the program are photos of Dodgers players and brief biographies, a schedule of the games on the tour, and a photo of the Dodgers, apparently just after winning the 1956 National League pennant. The biography of Jackie Robinson notes that, "As the first black player in the Major Leagues, he made a tremendous splash." The program's Robinson bio also mentions his "deft, daring style at the plate and in the field...." It was publicly unknown at the time, but Jackie Robinson's final games as a Brooklyn Dodger occurred on this tour, as he retired that winter and was not with the Dodgers in the team's final season in Brooklyn in '57 and the club's first season in Los Angeles, in '58. After almost seven decades, the program shows some moderate darkening, some very slight corner wear and a few insignificant smudges or stains, but these very minor perfections do not stop the program from being in overall EXCELLENT condition. On the tour, the Dodgers went 14-4-1 (with one game cancelled) against various levels of Japanese competition. Dodgers prospect Jim Gentile hit eight home runs while batting .471. Hall of Famers Duke Snider and Gil Hodges each hit six home runs while batting batting .345 and .333 respectively. Jackie Robinson, in his final games as a Dodger, hit two home runs and batted .327. Right-hander Roger Craig went 5-0. Sandy Koufax and Sandy Amoros did not make the trip because each was embarking on winter ball, and Carl Furillo declined to go on the tour.

Also included is a press ribbon, approx. 4" long and 1.5" wide, in red with gold colored lettering. Because of the passage of years, the colors on the ribbon are somewhat faded. The press ribbon is in an original box, with Japanese lettering and "1956." The cardboard box measures approx. 2.5x6x0.5" and shows light wear. Affixed to the ribbon is a miniature baseball bat and glove, with lettering on the miniature glove reading, "Dodgers." The ribbon has a few small, loose threads, but is in overall nice condition. The offering makes a great remembrance of the last Brooklyn pennant winners taking a sort of victory lap in Japan, with the move to Los Angeles coming after only one more season in Brooklyn.