Former Yakult player Kohei Miyadai, who aspires to be a lawyer, shows his “law student” side to this magazine while at the University of Tokyo

Kohei Miyadai, 27, who played for Nippon Ham and Yakult and retired at the end of this season, will take the bar exam and aim to become a lawyer. Miyadai told “Sports Hochi” that he was not sure if he wanted to become a lawyer or not.

I was also on the fence about it. It is not an easy road and it takes time, so I was wondering if I could make up my mind. After meeting with various lawyers and listening to their stories, and comparing them with general companies, I thought that being a lawyer sounded more interesting, or that it would give me more discretion and freedom.

Miyadai answered with sincerity, as if the word “earnest” were a perfect fit.

Miyadai was drafted seventh overall by Nichi-Ham in 2017. He was the sixth professional baseball player from the University of Tokyo. Even without the “University of Tokyo” distinction, Miyadai’s performance as a student was outstanding. In his junior year of college, he started the opening game of the Tokyo Six University League spring tournament against Waseda University and recorded 13 strikeouts in every inning. He broke the record for pitchers at the University of Tokyo for the first time in 70 years and caught the eye of professional baseball scouts. A few days later, this magazine attempted a direct interview with Miyadai. We approached Miyadai as he came out of the University of Tokyo baseball ground after practice.

I’m not an idol, I’m just a student, so I can’t be interviewed,” he said flatly.

I am not an idol, I am just a student, so I cannot be interviewed.

That year, he was selected to represent Japan in the Japan-U.S. Collegiate Baseball Championships. He was the second person from the University of Tokyo to be selected for the national team since newscaster Kensuke Ohgoshi (61), and the first in 33 years.

Miyadai started the third game of the Japan-U.S. Collegiate Baseball Tournament at Jingu Stadium on July 15, and although he pitched 2 2/3 innings and took the loss, he surprised many professional baseball scouts by striking out five and hitting a fastest 150 km/h against an egg from the majors. Mr. Okoshi also watched the game and said, “The sharpness and dynamism of his pitches are amazing. He also has a strong heart. He is on a totally different level from me.

After the match, I approached Miyadai as he came off the bench.

He said, “Oh, it’s been a while. Is it okay if I interview you here?

He was very considerate of our reporter and asked, “How was your performance against the Americans? When asked, “How was it against the U.S.?

I replied, “Oh, well… yes. I was fine…yes. It felt good.

He smiled like a child, bowed, and drove away. He said that from that time on, he began to consider whether to pursue a career in law or professional baseball, and during the training camp, he was living a life style typical of a law student.

He always had a copy of the Six Basic Laws in his pocket and read it whenever he had a spare moment. After dinner, I would stay in my room and study the second part of the Civil Code, which deals with claims, for two hours every day. After that, he would watch videos of the U.S. university teams to verify their attacking methods, etc.” (sports newspaper reporter)

Miyadai will surely show his ability in the new world.