Professional baseball generates an overwhelming level of excitement. The existence of "merchandise" amplifies that energy many times over, acting as a bridge connecting the team and the fans. Merchandise has now become a crucial pillar of team management, but recently, it has expanded beyond just "cheering items at the stadium" to include many practical items that blend into fans' lifestyles, and each team is producing hit after hit.

Kazuki Minami, currently working in the MD Planning Department of Fukuoka Softbank Hawks Co., Ltd., which leverages its unique properties to continuously produce a variety of goods throughout the year, joined a publishing company after graduating from university. He was mainly involved in the character business, working on domestic product development, theme park management, and overseas expansion of characters. However, in his fourth year, he decided to return to his hometown of Fukuoka Prefecture after getting married.

The next stage he chose was a venture company that develops app content. However, about a year after changing jobs, the company faced the risk of bankruptcy. At this point, Minami decided to make a third career change and began his job search with the core principle of "wanting to create something tangible and deliver it to customers, closer to the B2C market."

I was drawn to my current position because it allows me to utilize the experience I gained at my first company and aligns with my personal values. In addition, I started playing baseball in my childhood because of The Hawks, and that experience was a formative experience in shaping my character. I decided to apply because I now want to deliver a formative experience that will leave a lasting impression on someone's life through sports.

At the time, the selection process consisted of a document screening and three interviews, all of which were conducted online. Because there were no in-person interviews, she sometimes felt it was difficult to get a sense of the actual work environment and atmosphere. However, she alleviated her anxieties by visiting the stadium and seeing the merchandise shop firsthand. She emphasized the importance of preparation, stating, "I created a detailed list of anticipated questions and answers, and practiced role-playing with a friend to ensure I could clearly convey my points even in a short interview."

Minami is currently active in a wide range of fields, including directing the production of merchandise in line with the event concept, planning and developing new products, and acquiring external content to collaborate with The Hawks.

"My work is varied, but first and foremost, I plan merchandise for team events such as 'Takasai SUMMER BOOST' and 'Pinkful Day.' I direct the designs, have manufacturers produce the goods, and handle the entire process of delivering them to customers. I also plan commemorative merchandise for players' achievements during the season. In addition, I find collaboration projects and handle external sales and negotiations to release them as collaborative merchandise."

She feels that there are many similarities to her experience at the publishing company where she started working after graduating, but she was very surprised by the "speed" unique to the sports industry.

"When I was working in the character business at my first company, I spent a lot of time on detailed supervision and ensuring quality. On the other hand, in the professional baseball industry, various topics arise during the daily games, and we have to pick them up and deliver them to the customers. This pace was incomparably faster than my previous job. It was the first time I felt such a gap after joining the company."

"If you say it's always a busy season, then it's always a busy season," says Minami, describing the greatest reward he finds amidst his hectic daily life as "the moment he sees The Hawks fans holding the merchandise." When Minami is tired, he goes up to the stands to see fans wearing the merchandise he designed.

"It gives me energy. I get nourishment from seeing my fans, and it motivates me to work even harder."

The environment in which they can create emotional moments while directly experiencing the reactions of tens of thousands of fans is arguably one of The Hawks' greatest attractions.

My previous work experience came in handy with this collaboration with a popular character.

While Ms. Minami has created numerous hit products, the project she is particularly fond of is her collaboration with "Crayon Shin-chan," which took place in 2024 and 2025. This was a project where her experience from her previous job proved invaluable.

"This collaboration was made possible thanks to my experience and connections from my previous job. Up until now, character collaborations have often been limited to projects where characters wear jersey, but based on my experience in my previous job, I had a feeling that this time we could have original illustrations drawn of the players. When we announced the collaboration, we received a much greater response than we had anticipated, and it was memorable because it achieved the highest sales figures for any collaboration merchandise to date."

"Something even more interesting": What does Minami envision for the future?

Three years have passed since Minami chose her current environment as a new place where she could fully utilize her experience. As she gains a solid sense of accomplishment on the front lines, what kind of career vision does Minami envision?

"I believe events and merchandise are inseparable. I've accumulated skills and knowledge in the merchandise field, but without an event, it won't translate into sales, so I'd like to gain experience in event management as well. By doing so, I'll be able to connect events starting with merchandise, and conversely, I'll be able to translate events into merchandise, which I think will allow me to create even more interesting things."

The MD Planning Department, where Minami works, is currently seeking new talent to further expand its creative scope. What Minami looks for in new colleagues is "someone with their own passion, dedication, and things they cherish." Because "planning is a job with no right answer," how far one can pursue their ideas is directly linked to their individual dedication.

Finally, here is a message from Ms. Minami to everyone aspiring to a career in the sports industry.

"The sports industry is a small world, so it's easy to feel that it's intimidating or that you need special skills to get in, but that's not true at all. Even just looking at one baseball team, they are involved in a wide range of businesses and offer many products and services, so if you break down those businesses individually, you'll find a place where you can utilize your experience and skills. If you thoroughly consider how what you have can contribute and where you can find value, a career in the sports industry will naturally become more accessible. I encourage you to organize your own experience and strengths from that perspective. You might find a connection to the sports industry."

Interview and text by Manyuko Goto

information

The "Pacific League Sports Job Fair 2026 Summer by doda" will be held in Nihonbashi, Tokyo on Saturday, June 20th! This is a mid-career recruitment event specializing in the professional baseball industry, organized by the six Pacific League teams and Pacific League Marketing Co., Ltd. Check the special page for details.

PLM Career, a recruitment agency specializing in the sports industry.
https://career.pacificleague.jp/