Exclusive Confession [Full Text] Baseball Traveler Munenori Kawasaki Says, “I’m an Enka Singer Singing in a Tiny Hall

Baseball is entertainment

I played professional baseball in Japan, went to the majors, and played in Taiwan and Mexico, but I still have the desire to play overseas. So when I received an offer to play in Dubai in the Middle East, I gladly accepted. I was happy to accept the offer. I have the impression that the Middle East and Dubai are full of possibilities. But then I thought about it and asked myself, “Where is Dubai? I thought it was the name of a country. I thought it was the name of a country (laughs).

Wearing a “kandoora,” an ethnic costume given to him by a friend he befriended there, Munenori Kawasaki, 44, proudly held out two trophies (see photo above) with a beaming smile.

The bigger one is the MVP of the series, and the other one is the ‘Elvis Andrus Clubhouse Award,’ which is given in recognition of the team’s success,” he said. That’s just like me, isn’t it?

Baseball United, the region’s first baseball league, was launched at the end of last year with four teams based in the Middle East and South Asia. Kawazaki played for the Mid-East Falcons, along with such great players of the past as Hiroyuki Nakajima (43, formerly of Chunichi) and Shuhei Fukuda (36, formerly of Lotte). In the regular season, he posted a .367 batting average, and in the playoffs between the top two teams, he led his team to the championship and was awarded the MVP of the first series.

I thought I might get a camel as an extra prize, but alas (laughs). But when the game starts, the starting pitcher rides a camel to the mound.”

This was one of the staging methods used to gain popularity in Dubai, a land barren of baseball, but baseball itself also had its own rules that were ″unconventional″ and defied common sense.

For example, “Moneyball,” which doubles the score for a homerun. A home run with one runner on base would normally score two runs, but with the Moneyball, it would score four. In the “Fireball” game, the pitcher changes the game at the moment he strikes out, regardless of the out count. The main feature of both is that they can be used up to three times in one game.

Our team hit an eight-run homer with the bases loaded using the Moneyball. The stands and we players were all in an uproar. Conversely, the rule allows for the possibility of being caught up even when leading by eight runs. I couldn’t relax until the last inning. By the way, they didn’t use the money ball once in my at-bat. I guess the manager knew that there were no home runs for Mune (laughs).

Baseball in Japan may be facing a turning point, as there are calls for a seven-inning rule system in high school baseball. While rule changes are often seen in sports, it is hard to shake the impression that baseball has a stronger allergic reaction to rule changes than other sports.

Kawazaki, however, is flexible.

Sports are entertainment. It is entertainment. It is meant to be enjoyed, and we need to make our customers happy!”

During the intense month spent at the stadium, which is nothing more than artificial turf laid out in the desert, Kawasaki-who is a member of the team that has been playing in the tournament for the past three years-had a chance to play in the first game of the season. In between doubleheaders, they laid out mats on the field and took naps. He could be seen taking fatigue as best he could, but he laughed and said, “I should write that the paycheck was not much at all. Even so, the trip to Dubai brought a big revelation.

I don’t know if Moneyball is right for Japanese people,” he said. People in the Middle East have a different view of baseball than Japanese people. But I was able to reconfirm in Dubai that baseball is still entertainment.

Mastering Mune’s Baseball

With the arrival of baseball spring came the most astonishing news. Kawazaki was invited to the Chunichi Dragons’ camp as a “temporary coach and player. Is he returning to the NPB?

Kawazaki smiled at the question and began to talk about his beliefs.

I don’t think so, but if I were offered the job, I would turn it down. I am like an enka singer who sings in a small hall. I want to master entertainment in a small box. I have played professional baseball and in the majors, so I have enough experience in big venues. There are many players who should be on that stage. I play baseball for Tochigi (Golden Braves), an independent league, with my sights set not only on the fans but also on the sponsors. Baseball cannot exist without people who support it. In the past, I didn’t really understand that. Why is baseball possible? I was able to understand the structure and flow of baseball because I played in an independent league.

Then he continued.

After games, I go to the sponsor’s company and scrub toilets.

Kawazaki among the youngsters?

Not “Mune” too, but “Mune” goes there. I want the young players to concentrate on baseball. But you can’t make a living just playing baseball. Japan is blessed. That’s why we don’t realize it. Like in Dubai this time, it is commonplace to have neither baseball equipment nor a baseball stadium. That is why I want young players to go abroad more and more. I think they will discover many things.

Although Kawazaki has his heart set on the younger players, he is still full of energy as a baseball player. At 45 this year, he will finally catch up to the age at which Ichiro (52), whom he greatly admires, retired.

He said, “A year and a half ago, I started using a machine called Qualiforce to improve my sense of movement, and I’m in great shape now that I have a body that’s ready to move. However, Ichiro, who is ……45 years old, reached first base in 3.68 seconds, which is a ridiculous time!　Now I’m barely under 4 seconds……. I am happy to be able to feel Ichiro’s greatness firsthand and to know what it feels like to be active at 45. I’m sure Ichiro would say, ‘I can still run 3.9 seconds’ (laughs).

When will Kawazaki bring this journey to an end? Even he doesn’t know.

I have no desire to continue forever. I can quit at any time. It could be tomorrow. But because I feel that way, on the contrary, I am not afraid, and it makes my life easier.

Which stage will be more exciting this year?

From the February 20-27, 2026 issue of FRIDAY