This year marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, whose name is associated with Tohoku, have been working since that year to support reconstruction efforts and to ensure that the memory of the disaster does not fade. They have donated relief funds, supplied relief supplies, visited the affected areas, and brought encouragement to the people of Tohoku through their play.

Ginji and Takero Okajima, who dedicated their entire careers to Rakuten Eagles, are now team ambassadors after their retirement. We asked them to reflect on the past 15 years.

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On the day the massive earthquake struck Tohoku, Rakuten Eagles' first team was playing an exhibition game against Chiba Lotte Marines in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. Ginji, who was in his sixth year as a professional at the time, was playing in that game. After the bottom of the seventh inning, a team staff member informed him that there had been a major earthquake in Tohoku and that he should contact his family. Immediately after the earthquake, the phone lines were overloaded and it was difficult to get through because so many people were calling at once, but Ginji said, "I was lucky enough to get through to my parents on the first try and they told me, 'We're okay here,'" so he was able to confirm their safety right away.

However, at that time, he didn't yet realize the seriousness of the situation. On the way back to the hotel from the stadium, he was left speechless when he saw the video playing on the bus.

"I saw footage taken from above Sendai Airport, showing a black wave crashing in. I couldn't believe that this was actually happening right now. I was speechless, and no one on the team said anything on the bus."

After that, Rakuten Eagles traveled around the country, mainly in the Kanto region, playing practice games and training. It was about a month later that they returned to Sendai. Before the season started, Ginji visited an evacuation center in Onagawa Town, Oshika District, Miyagi Prefecture, with his teammates and club officials. Witnessing the town reduced to rubble and the heartbroken faces of the victims, he thought, "This is no time to be playing baseball. It's impossible for the season to start this year."

The fighting leader's words united the team

During those days of struggle, it was the words of their manager at the time, Senichi Hoshino, that motivated the team. "He told us, 'baseball is all we have, so let's make everyone smile with baseball,' and we knew we had no choice but to do it. From then on, we all fought together as one. Manager Hoshino's words resonated with us the most," Ginji says.

Hoshino's message, "Let's make everyone smile through baseball," embodied the wishes of the disaster victims. When he visited an evacuation center, he was told, "Win the championship for Tohoku," which strengthened his resolve to "win for these people."

Okajima, who was selected in the fourth round by Rakuten Eagles at the draft held in October of the same year, said that he was determined to "do his best."

"After joining the team, I visited the disaster-stricken areas as a rookie player, but even after about a year, the recovery is still not progressing. I had never imagined it would be like that. As Manager Hoshino said, baseball was all I had, so I approached my first year with the strong desire to do something for Tohoku. That feeling grew stronger with each passing day."

At the victory parade, what I heard was "Thank you" instead of "Congratulations."

The moment of joy came to Tohoku two years later, in 2013. Rakuten Eagles had been performing well since the interleague games in mid-May, and on July 4th they tied for first place. They maintained that position until the end of the season, and finally won the league championship for the first time in the team's history on September 26th against the Saitama Seibu Lions. They then went on to play a fierce battle against The Giants in the Japan Series, which ended in a 3-3 draw until the seventh game, and captured the glory of becoming Japan's best team.

That year, Ginji recorded a batting average of .317, fourth in the league, RBI. In the Japan Series, he tied for the team's highest number of RBI with 5, earning him the Most Valuable Player Award. Okajima, who established himself as the leadoff hitter and right fielder in the second half of the season, performed well as the leadoff hitter, with a batting average of .323 and an on-base percentage of .405. In Game 7 of the Japan Series, he hit a timely doble that added a valuable extra point.

The two, who made a major contribution to achieving their long-cherished dream, rubbed their arms and said, "Just remembering (that moment) still gives me goosebumps." "I was happy, and I felt that we had finally brought smiles to the disaster-stricken areas. It would be nice if they could smile even a little, so I'm glad we were able to do that," said Ginji.

Okajima emphasizes that they were able to win thanks to the support of fans in Tohoku.

"When we entered the second half of the season in the top ranks, the stadium was packed for every single game. It was a first-time experience for me, being only in my second year at the time. I believe our victory was only possible because of the support of everyone who always filled the stadium to cheer us on."

Exactly three weeks after becoming the best in Japan, on November 24th, a victory parade was held in Sendai. 214,000 fans gathered along the approximately 1.5km route. However, instead of congratulations, the fans offered words of "gratitude."

"I was told 'thank you' so many times. As I go about my life carrying various emotions, it was a moment that made me realize just how significant Rakuten Eagles' victory was to the people of Tohoku," (Okajima).

"It made me really happy when they said 'thank you'... It made me feel like it was all worthwhile to play baseball," (Ginji said).

What prompted you to decide to become a team ambassador?

As the players continued their visits to the disaster-stricken areas, they received numerous expressions of gratitude from local residents. "They would shake our hands and say, 'Thank you so much.' We were just visiting, so when they said that, we thought, 'No, thank you,'" said Okajima.

Ginji, who still frequently visits various parts of Tohoku, smiled and said, "I stay at inns, buy souvenirs, and eat delicious food. I've been going there more often since I retired, and it makes me happy when people say, 'Thank you for coming.'" He also revealed that the voices of Tohoku fans were the deciding factor in his appointment as a team ambassador.

"I had about a month to think about whether to retire or continue playing baseball. During that time, I traveled around the disaster-stricken areas and met and talked with many people. Many of them told me, 'Gin-chan, please stay in Sendai. Don't leave.' That's one of the reasons I decided to stay in Sendai. I want to continue to stand by Tohoku in the future."

Okajima, who retired at the end of last season, will also contribute to Tohoku by juggling two roles.

"Originally, I wanted to go to graduate school. However, the team adjusted my work schedule so that I could balance it with my studies, so I decided to accept the ambassadorship because I really wanted to contribute to the Tohoku region."

I will study training and sports in graduate school. In the future, I would like to nurture top-level athletes from the Tohoku region. My goal is for Tohoku athletes to dominate the top three places in national competitions, and I want to acquire solid training knowledge to achieve that. I also want to give back various knowledge and skills to students in Tohoku."

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"Let's do our best, Tohoku." With this slogan, which has been upheld since 2011, these two players completed their careers with it in mind. Even after retirement, they have taken on the role of team ambassadors, passionately promoting Tohoku from a different perspective. In the second part of the interview, they shared their recommendations for Tohoku's gourmet food and tourist spots.

[Part 2] "If you're going to Tohoku, this is the place! Ginji & Takeo Okajima recommend exquisite gourmet food and sightseeing spots"

Interview and text by Yuna Takahashi