Baseball has been extremely popular in Japan for nearly as long as it has been here in the States. This stately coffee table book is 488 pages long and contains an impressive compilation of over 1,000 photos. Written by Japan Hall of Famer Kenzo Hirose, this is one of the seminal books on Japanese baseball, covering a span from 1872 to 1964. The first 238 pages consist entirely of slick paper photo graphics. Everyone from Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson to Victor Starffin and Sadaharu Oh are depicted here. Most photos of U.S. players were taken in Japan and are not commonly seen in the U.S. There are also 250 pages of Japanese text, including a very informative section of rosters, game results and details of games, including many U.S. Japan Tours. The 8.5x12" first edition volume is hardbound with cardboard slipcover. The book is in NRMT condition while the slipcover is EX-MT.