"Playlist PA" is a series that introduces music that accompanies the daily lives of Pacific League players. The eighth installment features pitcher Chihiro Sumida Saitama Seibu Lions.

pitcher Sumida says, "I listen to a lot of music on a regular basis." This season, he started the season with four consecutive wins, achieving double-digit win for the first time in his career. He also had a breakthrough season, being selected as a member of the national team for the "LUXAS Samurai Japan Series 2025" to be held in mid-November. This time, we asked pitcher Sumida, who is such a "music lover," to share his carefully selected songs that symbolize this season and his favorite songs that he listened to often this season.

[Click here for previous "Playlist Pa"]

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(1) Desire / SUPER BEAVER
If there's one song that symbolizes this year, it has to be the entrance song, "Kibou." I learned about this song through The Lions senior, Takeru Sasaki. Sasaki is acquainted with SUPER BEAVER, so I started listening to their music and discovered this song. The deciding factor in choosing it as the entrance song was, of course, the lyrics. The Lions had a really disappointing experience last year, so I decided to use this entrance song this season, with my feelings for all the fans who support us.

(2) 10,000 Hours/Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
...I listen to a lot of Western music, but I particularly like "10,000 Hours" by Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber. I don't remember what made me start listening to it, but I've been listening to Justin Bieber's songs for a long time. When I first heard this song, I just had a feeling and thought, "Ah, this is so good!" It's a quiet song, so I often listen to it when I want to relax, like when traveling on a bus, plane, or bullet train during a road trip. I like the melody and tempo.

(3) Wasted Nights/ONE OK ROCK
...I've never been to a live show, but I've always loved ONE OK ROCK. I listen to a variety of their songs on a regular basis, and I save the ones I particularly like in my playlists. This song was the theme song for the movie "Kingdom," so I remember hearing it for the first time there. Unlike the second song, "10,000 Hours," I listen to "Wasted Nights" before a game, while driving, or when I want to lift my spirits.

We bring you behind-the-scenes stories from our interviews!

pitcher apparently listens to music in all aspects of his daily life, and while he was poring over the music apps he uses, he said, "I listen to so much music, it's hard to choose... Let me think about it for a bit..." He created this playlist. Here, we bring you some anecdotes about songs and artists that pitcher often listens to, but that were mentioned in the interview, but didn't make it into the playlist.

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pitcher Sumida (hereinafter referred to as Sumida) "I really listen to a lot of different things. I listen to a wide variety of music..."

Editorial staff (hereinafter referred to as editors) "You said that you listen to a lot of music on a regular basis, but do you have a routine like, 'I'll definitely listen to this on the day I'm starting!'"

Sumida "There's no particular song that I would say is 'this is it'... Ah! But I listened to MISAMO a lot!"

Edited "Why is that again?"

Sumida "Hmm, I don't know why (laughs). Maybe it's because there are a lot of high-tempo songs! Also, I still often listen to the entrance song I used until last year (What We Started [feat. BullySongs]/Don Diablo, Steve Aoki & Lush & Simon), and I also often listen to Maki Otsuki's song "memories." I think it was the theme song for "One Piece." I also listen to WANIMA, as they have a lot of uplifting songs. And One Republic too!"

Edited "It's really a wide range!"

Sumida "I make playlists of songs to listen to before going to sleep, songs to listen to while driving, etc., but I listen to so many different things, it was difficult to choose this time (laughs)."

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■ pitcher Chihiro Sumida Profile
Born August 20, 1999, in Nagasaki Prefecture, he graduated from Nishinippon Institute of Technology and joined Saitama Seibu as the first pick in the 2021 draft. He had a tough first season with 1 win and 10 losses, but from his second year in 2023, he has maintained a place in the starting rotation throughout the season and this season he achieved his first double-digit win as Saitama Seibu 's top player. His MBTI rating is ENTP (Debater).