Pacific League: Seibu Lions 4, Rakuten Eagles 1 (30th, Belluna Dome)
Seibu Lions outfielder Takumi Kuriyama attended his retirement ceremony after the game against the Rakuten Eagles at Belluna Dome on the 30th.
At the end of the speech he gave after the flower presentation, he thrilled the Seibu Lions fans who filled the stadium with a 'Lions for life' declaration, saying, 'For 25 years, I have continued to be Kuriyama of The Lions. I have been, and will continue to be, Kuriyama of The Lions. Thank you so much for these 25 years.'
Kuriyama joined the team from Ikuei High School in Hyogo as a fourth-round draft pick in 2001. He made his professional debut on September 24, 2004, in a game against Kintetsu at the Osaka Dome. During contract negotiations in November 2025, he announced that he would retire at the end of the 2026 season.
![[Video] Fans in tears... Takumi Kuriyama's 2152nd hit](https://hochi.news/images/2026/08/30/20260830-OHT1I51414-C.jpg)
![[Scoreboard] Seibu Lions vs. Rakuten Eagles](https://hochi.news/assets/v2/img/hochi_news_sns.png)
![[Seibu Lions] Hideo Nomo appeared at Takumi Kuriyama's retirement game ceremony, delivering a passionate speech: "I want you to retract your retirement. I truly mean it."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/08/30/20260830-OHT1I51500-L.jpg)
![[Seibu Lions] Hideo Nomo, who has a total of 201 wins in Japan and the US, appeared at Takumi Kuriyama's retirement ceremony and said, "I want you to withdraw your retirement."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/08/30/20260830-OHT1I51463-L.jpg)
![[Seibu Lions] Natsuki Takeuchi earns his 10th win, tying his personal best, with 1 runs over 8 innings: "Today, I pitched with the absolute determination to win for Kuriyama-san."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/08/30/20260830-OHT1I51458-L.jpg)
