Samurai Japan Returns Home after WBC Triumph

Narita, Chiba Pref., March 23 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese men's national baseball team, nicknamed "Samurai Japan," returned home on Thursday, after winning the World Baseball Classic for the third time. Speaking at a press conference after arriving at Narita International Airport near Tokyo on board a chartered flight, manager Hideki Kuriyama praised his team as "amazing" and said, "All the players fulfilled their roles." The press conference, held at a hotel in the city of Narita, Chiba Prefecture, was attended by Japan-based players. Four Major League Baseball players, including two-way star Shohei Ohtani, were absent as they returned to their respective teams in the United States. The tournament "encouraged me to set higher goals for myself," said Munetaka Murakami of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, who hit a walk-off double in the semifinal against Mexico and a solo home run in the final against the United States. Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines, who pitched in Japan's pool game against the Czech Republic and in the semifinal, said he was "glad" to have competed against MLB players. "I'd like to play better (in the next tournament) after three years," he added. Also on Thursday, the team visited Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister's office in Tokyo. The team "accomplished such a great feat through the combination of individual talent and teamwork," Kishida said. Kishida noted that he was unable to watch the seminal and the final as he was on a visit to Ukraine, but added that Samurai Japan's triumphant WBC run "gave courage and cheer to everyone in Japan." END