The annual joint sports industry job change event, "Pacific League Sports Job Change Fair 2025 Autumn by doda," was held online over two days, Wednesday, November 5th and Thursday, November 6th, 2025.
This event is a mid-career recruitment event that brings together all six Pacific League teams, as well as sports-related companies. It has been held annually since 2018, and this year marks the 11th time it has been held. It boasts a high number of job offers each time, with around 100 people from this event being hired in the sports industry and realizing their career change.
Those who decided to join the company after attending the summer job fair held in July 2025 have started new careers at sports-related companies.
Companies from across sports exhibit. See the "sports industry" from various angles.
This time, the 17 companies listed below exhibited, attracting 52 job offers. The number of job offers was greater than at the Summer 2025 Job Fair, with a wider range of sports business positions available. This event is notable for the presence of a variety of companies from across sports, including not only professional baseball teams, but also basketball and golf teams.
At the company information session, we will talk about the company overview and the job openings, and at the end we will answer questions from participants. During the talk session, you will be able to broaden your knowledge of sports business.
・ The Fighters Sports & Entertainment Co., Ltd.
・ Rakuten baseball Club, Inc.
・ Saitama Seibu Lions Co., Ltd.
・ Chiba Lotte Marines Co., Ltd.
・ Orix baseball Club Co., Ltd.
・ Fukuoka Softbank Hawks Corp.
・ Pacific League Marketing Co., Ltd.
・Seahorse Mikawa Co., Ltd.
・Accordia Golf Co., Ltd.
・Honma Golf Co., Ltd.
・Cross Sports Marketing Co., Ltd.
・Euphoria Co., Ltd.
・Ventus Co., Ltd.
・Alpen Co., Ltd.
・Roots Sports Japan Co., Ltd.
・Fanatics Japan LLC
・Pia Corporation
At Pacific League Marketing Co., Ltd. (PLM) company information session, Ms. Yoriko Fujii of the Career Development Group, Partnership Sales Department, Corporate Business Headquarters, took the stage. Established with joint investment from six Pacific League teams, she introduced PLM's vision and mission, as well as its business and organizational chart, and its new office, which will be relocated to in 2025.
PLM operates in a different area from the baseball teams, and is based on the idea that "there are things that six teams can do together that are better done by themselves, things that one team cannot do alone."
This time, Tomoaki Kishi, General Manager of the Partnership Sales Department at the Corporate Business Headquarters, gave an overview of the "Planning Sales Position" and the job content. He divided "Planning Sales Position" into three categories: "League Sponsorship Sales," "Content Sales," and "Licensing Sales," and provided a detailed explanation based on actual examples. After describing the work of a PLM sales position as a "special industry," he explained the required elements as follows.
"First of all, you need the ability to eagerly absorb new information and the ability to put customer needs into words. Also, because this is a job that involves a large number of stakeholders, you need the imagination to understand the other party's situation and background, a sense of balance and coordination, and, most importantly, the creativity to link the assets of the baseball team and create new value."
When asked about the frequency of business trips during the Q&A session, he replied, "In the sales department, business trips tend to be more frequent during the opening and postseason of the season, and in some months we may be away for three or four days, or even more than a week." In response to a question about what he looks for in young members, he said, "It may be a cliché, but a spirit of challenge, creativity, and initiative."
Many other questions were also asked about the selection process, such as the composition of the sales and corporate planning departments, when they expected to join the company, and the application requirements. This was a time when it was easy to imagine what to do after joining the company and the PLM environment. Takashi concluded by saying, "There are probably some things you won't know until you actually go through the selection process, so I hope you will apply with enthusiasm."
In addition to company information sessions, special content is also held at this event. You can hear from people who have actually changed jobs in the sports industry, and get know-how and tips on changing jobs.
This time, we will introduce the pattern of the "Honne Talk ~Roundtable Discussion for Job Changers~" held on November 5th (Wednesday). Mr. Tsuyoshi Komatsu of Persol Career Co., Ltd. served as the moderator, and Mr. Kenta Komatsu of Chiba Lotte Marines Co., Ltd. and Mr. Shohei Nishida of Pacific League Marketing Co., Ltd. were invited as guests. The host, Tsuyoshi Komatsu, is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Hiroshima Toyo Carp. After retiring as a player, he worked as a team employee, and a talk was held, including Mr. Komatsu's experience at the club.
Kenta Komatsu and Mr. Nishida happen to be from the same university and the same faculty. After graduating from university, Kenta Komatsu worked at a public elementary school for five years, then worked at a tax accountant's office for five years, and has been working as an accountant for Chiba Lotte Marines since April 2024.
On the other hand, Mr. Nishida has five and a half years of experience as a medical information officer (MR) in the healthcare division of a chemical fiber manufacturer. After that, he participated in the launch of a new business using the company's FA system, and after experiencing various tasks such as marketing and legal affairs in addition to sales, he moved to PLM. Both of them joined the sports industry mid-career from completely different industries.
Kenta Komatsu joined Chiba Lotte Marines because of his admiration for the customers he was in charge of at a tax accountant's office. He says that the accountant actively communicated with the president and saw that he was actively moving. From there, he began to want to work within the company using his knowledge of accounting and taxation, and began looking for a new job in Chiba Prefecture, where he had lived since his university days. At such a timing, Chiba Lotte Marines was posting a job offer, and he said that he never applied.
Mr. Nishida changed his job from a chemical fiber manufacturer to PLM. In fact, he studied sports business when he was in college. I played soccer when I was a student, and I also had experience working as a sponsor sales internship for a J-League club team. While he had a desire to work in the sports industry someday, he decided to change jobs to the sports industry when he thought about his career in his 30s.
The two of them, who have such backgrounds, delivered interesting voices from the field, such as episodes of job change activities and the rewarding experience of the sports industry after actually changing jobs, for about 45 minutes. Finally, a message was sent to those who are thinking of changing jobs in the sports industry.
"Professional baseball clubs are really rewarding and I often feel fulfilled every day. If you are aiming to change jobs in the sports industry, I hope you will have the courage to step into it," said Kenta Komatsu of Chiba Lotte Marines, which conveys a sense of fulfillment.
Mr. Nishida of PLM said, "I myself changed jobs with no experience in the sports industry, and when I actually entered the industry, I feel that there are people with various back ground ground in this industry. I want you to jump in with confidence at the end."
Tsuyoshi Komatsu of Persol Career said, "As Mr. Nishida said, the back ground is unique. By verbalizing that and changing jobs, I feel that if you think about things like 'I want to do this' and 'I want to go to this industry,' I can make a good job change."
In addition, as a special content, we will deliver a "Career Change Know-How Seminar" that teaches you how to use self-analysis methods that can be used in company selection, document preparation, and interviews. In addition, PLM Executive Officer Kenji Sonobe will introduce examples of business initiatives of Pacific League six teams, "Work with Pacific League!
Pro baseball Tips for Changing Jobs from the Back of the Business" was also held.
You can listen to the stories of people who are actually active at the forefront of the sports business and obtain on-site information to make use of the "Pacific League Sports Career Fair" in your job search activities. If you want to make sports your career, why not approach a company that is looking for jobs?
▼ Pacific League Sports Career Fair 2025 Fall by doda
Company Information Session Video: https://onground.doda.jp/event/jobfair2025aw#index_P3ewFvdp
Exhibitor recruitment: https://doda.jp/pickupjob/sportlight/
Event Special Page: https://onground.doda.jp/event/jobfair2025aw
Click here for "PLM Career", a career change agent specializing in the sports industry operated by Pacific League Marketing Co., Ltd.
Text: Ryohei Tokaibayashi
