<figure id="attachment_300594" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-300594" style="width: 1048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="abd6dd01"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/03/makimakimakimaki1-1.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-300594" class="wp-caption-text">Maki and singer/songwriter HIPPY reunited at Tokyo Dome after the Czech game on March 11.</figcaption></figure>
 Shugo Maki (24) hit a home run in place of Shohei Ohtani (28) and said, &#8220;Yes, Destasha! There was a day when the camera caught him doing that, wasn&#8217;t there?　I was at the Tokyo Dome that day to watch the game!　The photo above was taken right after the game, with Maki-san still in a state of excitement.
 Samurai Japan advanced to the first round of the WBC with four consecutive wins. The archipelago is excited by the progress of the Samurai Japan team.
 Although he has not been noticeable because Lars Nutber (25), Kensuke Kondo (29), and Otani have been hitting well, Maki, the young mainstay of the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars, has hit two arches, the most for the team in the first round of the league.
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
 The song for Maki&#8217;s appearance was written by HIPPY (42), a singer-songwriter, whose signature song &#8220;Kimi ni Tsuite Ouenka&#8221; has been viewed 10 million times on YouTube and 100 million times on TikTok, and has been used by many professional baseball players. It was ranked number one in the &#8220;Song of the Year 2020&#8221; ranking. However, HIPPY says, &#8220;This is the first time I have written a song for a specific player.
 I met Maki for the first time last January. I met Maki for the first time in January last year in Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture, where he was training with his teammate Yamato (35). I was performing in Kagoshima at the same time, and a mutual acquaintance introduced us. The first time I saw him, I thought he was a stoic, unapproachable, and scary person. However, when I actually met Maki, I found him to be a cheerful and playful person.
 He was so excited that he sang two of his own songs on the spot, including &#8220;Kimi ni Tsuite Ouenka&#8221; (&#8220;Cheering Song for You&#8221;).
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Dancing Maki&#39;s overwhelming presence"></div>
Although they were unable to meet due to the COVID-19 crisis, they became friends through phone calls, and HIPPY wrote a song for Maki&#8217;s appearance. It was last November.
 Of course I was honored, but at the same time I wondered if I was the right person to write the song for &#8230;&#8230;. But Maki was serious. If so, I started to interview him. We talked to his teammates and also to Maki&#8217;s teacher from junior high school. What kind of words does he like and how does he feel when he stands on the ground? After much thought and consideration, we decided to create a song centered on his motto, &#8220;Gratitude.
<figure id="attachment_300589" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-300589" style="width: 1159px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="41788ba4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/03/makimakimakm2.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-300589" class="wp-caption-text"> A photo taken in January of this year, when we delivered a fresh copy of &#8220;We Can Make It&#8221; to Kagoshima, where he had been training voluntarily.</figcaption></figure>
 There was one scene that left a strong impression on me. It was when Maki came to HIPPY&#8217;s live concert.
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
 Maki was so funny, he would spontaneously start dancing when the music started playing. His movements are so unique that it&#8217;s almost &#8230;&#8230; comical, if you don&#8217;t mind me saying so, or cute. When he came to my concert, he was dancing so much on the floor that I immediately knew where Maki was (laughs).
 The song &#8220;We Can Make It&#8221; was completed in January of this year and released for distribution on March 1. The chorus, &#8220;Make It! Maki said, &#8220;It&#8217;s great! Maki said, &#8220;It&#8217;s great!
 When we met at the Tokyo Dome, Maki said, &#8220;I&#8217;m listening to this song so much!　I actually used it secretly during the WBC exhibition match (laughs). Under the pressure of carrying the flag of Japan on his shoulders, it would normally be a bleak time, but Maki said, &#8220;I am really enjoying myself right now. He was in a good mood, saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m really enjoying it now, and I&#8217;m learning a lot about how top-notch players behave and how they approach baseball. I was impressed that someone like that can compete with the world. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the song was written for an appearance by a great person. Starting this season, professional baseball players will be allowed to cheer loudly. I was able to provide this song at the best timing. In that frenzied atmosphere of a packed Hamastaroo, fans clapped their hands and danced, creating a huge movement. In that super-positive atmosphere, I can see a future where Maki plays a big role in the game and there is a moment of jubilation!&#8221;
<figure id="attachment_300590" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-300590" style="width: 1733px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4e2260e4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/03/makimakimak3.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-300590" class="wp-caption-text"> On a bench at Atom Home Stadium Ginowan, the Bay Stars&#8217; campsite, after the music video shooting.</figcaption></figure>

 HIPPY

 Shugo Maki, the young mainstay of the DeNA team, has been very active in the WBC. He has an image of being stoic and unapproachable, but his true face is that of a funny and nice guy. Confessions of HIPPY, who wrote the song that will be used starting this year.

Dancing Samurai Shugo Maki’s “Golden Words after a Fierce WBC Battle” – The Real Face as Seen by Singer HIPPY

Access Ranking