In the final part of my coverage of the “Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium”, we reach an area that is reminiscent of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and that is these plaques honoring the great players of Koshien/Hanshin Tigers.
Everything is in Japanese with the exception of one… Shosei Go.
Shosei Go is an outfielder nicknamed the “human locomotive” who gained popularity for his strong throwing arm and for being a fast base runner. A Taiwanese student from Chiayi High Schoo,, he participated as a pitcher and an outfielder at 4 spring and summer Koshien Tournaments. He became a member of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team in 1937, before switching to the Hanshin Tigers in 1944. In 1950, he switched to the Mainichi Orions (now known as the Chiba Lotte Marines) before retiring in 1957. He is the first pro baseball player whose career spanned 20 years. He won “Most Valuable Player” award once, batting champion twice and stolen base champion twice. In 1946, he worked as a pitcher achieving a no hitter.
Overall, the experience of visiting the Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium is amazing. It’s one thing to visit Koshien Stadium because it’s one of the oldest stadiums, baseball parks and is historic for its many championship games played in the all dirt infield mound.
Even if you don’t like the Hanshin Tigers, you can only have respect by visiting the stadium for its glory and knowing many champions and future professional baseball players emerged from Koshien.
As for the museum itself, as mentioned before, this museum is quite massive. The way the rooms and hallways are utilized is amazing and I never expected it to be more enjoyable than the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
Now don’t get me wrong, both museums are different and offer different things to see, but in terms of space utilization and things featured, you can’t but help but be in awe with the Museum of Hanshin Koshien offers. And access to the outfield and the ability to take photos is pretty cool too!
If you happen to be in the Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture (or nearby), definitely make the trip to check out the Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium. If you are a fan of Japanese baseball, you won’t be disappointed!
