On the 21st, Softbank Hawks held a closing ceremony for their Miyazaki training camp. New team captain Ryoya Kurihara stood in the center of the circle and addressed the fans and staff. He spoke forcefully, saying, "Let's bring the championship flag back to Miyazaki once again," before leading a single clap. Applause erupted from the stands.

When asked how he would rate his greeting, he lamented, "Because of Tanigawara, I got 50 points." In fact, he was interrupted by a colleague while he was practicing in the locker room. "Tanigawara was so noisy. He kept talking to me, so I couldn't practice properly, and I lost track of what I was saying. At the end, he started taking a video even though I was practicing (the greeting). He's really annoying," he said, slightly annoyed.