Kenta Maeda pitcher who joined Rakuten Eagles, made a live appearance on TV Asahi's "Hodo Station" (Monday-Friday, 9:54 PM) on the 17th. With a smile, he spoke about his feelings about returning to Japanese baseball after 11 years.

When asked by newscaster Okoshi Kensuke, "Can I call you Maeken again today?", he smiled and replied, "Sure! Let's decide."

When asked by Ogoe, "Now you're Maeda of Japanese baseball. How do you feel right now?", he replied, "I'm very excited. I'm looking forward to it, and I can't wait to play."

When asked by announcer Hirodo Ayumi, "You said in the studio that it was nostalgic, how is it? How is it being back on News Station?", he replied with a smile, "Well, it feels like I'm back." He added, "But I do get nervous here. It really gets me on edge," and showed off a painting he was proud of. He was keeping an eye on the movements of Murakami Munetaka and Okamoto Kazuma, who are aiming to transfer to the major leagues.