Ichiro played in the Koshien National High School Baseball Championship in March 1991 as a pitcher, and although he made two appearances, in the summer of his sophomore year and the spring of his junior year, he only managed one hit in all. After graduation, he was very active both in Japan and abroad. In 2004, he hit 4,257 hits in Japan and the U.S., which was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records.