Nippon-Ham infielder Kotaro Kiyomiya went to ESCON on the 4th to renew his contract and signed with an increased offer. Having reached the 100 million yen mark from 80 million yen, he smiled and said, "It may sound strange for me to say this, but it's an increase. I'm on board." The team reportedly praised him for playing in 138 games, the most on the team, saying, "Thank you for continuing to play all year." (The amount is an estimate.)

In his ninth season this season, he had a batting average of .272 with 12 Home Run, and towards the end of the season he competed with Rakuten Eagles 's Murabayashi for the most hit, finishing second in the league with 143 hit. "I felt that I was lacking in strength, and next season I will win overwhelmingly," he said, setting his sights on winning the league championship for the first time in 10 years.

Personally, he said, "I want to hit 30 Home Run runs and aim for an OPS (slugging percentage + on-base percentage) of 900." He will also be appointed as the players' association president from next season. "I want to show my skills as the face of The Fighters through both my play and my actions. I want to do things in a positive way," he said.