Baseball’s Bridge Across the Pacific: Celebrating the Legacy of Japanese American Baseball
The NBRP exhibition titled “Baseball’s Bridge Across the Pacific: Celebrating the Legacy of Japanese American Baseball” pays tribute to the rich legacy of Nikkei (Japanese American) pioneers and the important role of US-Japan Baseball diplomacy. It consists of historical panels and prewar artifacts that chronicle the introduction of baseball to Japan in the early 1870’s to the first Japanese American teams in 1903, the early tours by these Nikkei teams to Asia starting in 1914 helped usher in the start of professional baseball in Japan in 1936.
Sharing the Japanese American experience
Legacy
Their story, and the story of their ancestors and descendants, is a tale of a great journey, full of hard-won victories, devastating setbacks, and...
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Because the NBRP is a non-profit organization, donations and funding is needed to keep the exhibit on it’s expansive U.S. tour.
Mission
The NBRP mission is to foster awareness and education of Japanese American Internment through the prism of baseball and its multimedia projects...
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Rare 1927 film footage of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Japanese American Baseball All-Stars
Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Japanese American Baseball all-stars playing together in Fresno, CA at Fireman’s Ballpark. Only on-field 16mm footage taken during the eight city tour.
The Nisei were on Gehrig’s team and beat Babe Ruth’s 13-3. Taizo Toshiyuki filmed these ballplayers on October 29, 1927.
Through the spirit of Gail Zenimura Dunn’s passing, we obtained the reel and digitized it to this format.
Group photo includes (Lt to Rt ), Johnny Nakagawa, Lou Gehrig, Kenichi Zenimura, Babe Ruth, Fred Yoshikawa and Harvey Iwata. ( Courtesy of Taizo Toshiyuki family, Frank Kamiyama photographer and NBRP ).
Our Japanese American Legacy
Upcoming Events
- 2025 MLB All-Star Village, Atlanta, GA – July 11-15, 2025
- Baseball Hall of Fame YAKYU Exhibit – July 25, 2025
- Baseball Hall of Fame Induction – July 26, 2025
Our Mission
The Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded by Kerry Yo Nakagawa to preserve the history of Japanese American Baseball.