Softbank Hawks Hawks outfielder Ukyo Shuto who participated in the WBC as a member of the Japanese national team, rejoined the team on the 18th.

This tournament marked his second consecutive selection. In the game against the Czech Republic on the 10th (Tokyo Dome), he not only successfully stole second base but also hit a three-run homer in the 8th inning with two outs and runners on first and second base, giving his team a one-run lead. In the game against South Korea on the 7th (Tokyo Dome), he made a great catch in center defense in the 9th inning. It was truly a tournament where he showcased his abilities in hitting, fielding, and running. Nevertheless, his team was defeated in the quarterfinals against Venezuela on the 14th (15th Japan time) (Lone Depot Park, Miami, Florida, USA), and was eliminated. He returned home on the 16th.

On this day, Shuto participated in pre-game practice for the game against Chunichi (at Mizuho PayPay Stadium). He smiled as he moved around, saying, "I got to see my teammates for the first time in a while, and I thought Kurihara and Yanagita were really noisy."

In the Venezuela game, they were leading 5-2 at the 3rd inning, but from there they got 2 Home Run and 6 runs. The strength he felt in the opposing lineup was more "skill" than power, he said. They talk about power and power, but they have great technique," he said. He also said of the major leaguers who led the Japanese batting lineup, "Like Shohei, I thought that because they had power, they should use more force, but fundamentally, they were very skilled. Masanao (Yoshida) and Seiya (Suzuki) are both very skilled. I thought their technique was the best.

Shuto himself said, "I think if I improve both my physical strength and technique, I'll naturally be able to hit the ball further. I need to work on those two things," expressing his desire for further improvement.