On the 25th, Softbank Hawks owner Masayoshi Son (68) received a season-ending report from manager Hiroki Kokubo (54) at the team's headquarters in Tokyo, urging him not to be complacent after winning the league title for the second consecutive year and their first Japan Series championship in five years. "We can't become complacent or satisfied with being Japan Series champions. There are still many great teams in the world," he said, expressing his desire for relentless improvement.

He has just signed a new three-year contract with manager Kokubo, which will take him through 2028. His hopes for his long-term reign include making the team's slogan "Aim to be number one in the world!" While he didn't mention the team by name, he sees the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been world champions for two consecutive years, as his rival. "We need to train the team with high goals and ambitions, so that we can compete at their level," he said emphatically. With Yuya Arihara's transfer now confirmed, he wants to beat rival Nippon-Ham and live up to his boss's expectations.