Hanshin’s Kyuji Fujikawa Implements Strict Rules—Young Players Frustrated by FamilyMart-Only Policy

Young tigers forbidden from going Out!

Fujikawa Kyuji’s “Restrictive Coaching” Sparks Frustration Among Hanshin’s Young Players – “Only FamilyMart Allowed During Camp”

Taking over the heavy responsibility from his predecessor, Akifumi Okada (67), new Hanshin Tigers manager Kyuji Fujikawa (44) has introduced an extreme form of player management, reportedly causing confusion among the team.

Since February 1, the Tigers’ first team has been holding their spring training camp in Ginoza Village, Okinawa, while the second team trains in Uruma City’s Gushikawa district.

“The media presence has been larger than usual, both from Osaka and Tokyo, as this is Fujikawa’s first camp as manager. On the first day, Minami Sakuma (27), a Fuji TV announcer who co-hosted Sport! (Fuji TV) with Fujikawa, came to interview him on-site. He is already being treated like a legendary manager by fans and former players, even though the season hasn’t started yet,” said a former Hanshin player.

The team, which won the Japan Series two years ago, remains strong and has received high pre-season expectations. However, after failing to defend their title last year, Fujikawa took immediate action by issuing a strict no going out during camp rule for younger players.

“Players under 24 or those living in the team’s dormitory, ‘Kofuso,’ are prohibited from leaving at night during camp, even on the eve of rest days. The only exception is a short walk to the FamilyMart convenience store located about five minutes from their resort hotel in Onna Village.

Some younger players are furious, saying, ‘This is like prison! Fujikawa has turned Onna Village into a prison!’ Okada, the previous manager, had a much more hands-off approach when it came to players’ personal lives outside the field,” the former player added.

A front office staff member from another team also training in Okinawa expressed sympathy.

“I understand what Fujikawa is trying to do. Hanshin is a popular team, and in the past, young players would often get dragged into social dinners with influential fans (tanimachi). He probably wants to prevent that out of concern for his players. But times have changed—thanks to players like Shohei Ohtani (30), hardly anyone goes out drinking excessively anymore. Many young players today prioritize self-discipline, which is why they dislike being overly controlled by management.

Hanshin has already enforced a complete smoking ban during team activities under Fujikawa’s leadership, so I imagine the players are feeling pretty stressed out,” the staff member said with a wry smile.

Even within the Hanshin organization, some are raising concerns.

“The players are complaining, saying, ‘Where are we supposed to blow off steam?’ Tatsunami (Kazuyoshi, 55) failed at Chunichi with his old-school Spartan coaching style. Despite Fujikawa’s positive public image, internal tensions within the team are already surfacing,” a team official said.

For young players, spring camp is a golden opportunity to prove themselves and advance their careers. While Fujikawa’s intentions may be rooted in concern for his players, it seems that not all of them see it that way.