Before Rakuten Eagles-Nippon-Ham game, musical actor Ikusaburo Yamazaki performed a song and threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Ikusaburo Yamazaki commented through Rakuten Eagles organization: "I sang 'Niji' (Rainbow) with the hope of a bright future for children who play baseball and for the children of Tohoku. When I met Sandwichman today, Date-san told me to 'strike that's over 100 km/h,' so I was a little nervous (laughs). I played baseball for six years in elementary school, so even though the ball was a little high, I'm glad it reached 101 km/h. I threw it with all my heart, so I'll be cheering for Rakuten Eagles to win!"