Japan in the World Baseball Classic: Complete History

Italy vs Japan, 2023 World Baseball Classic quarterfinal at Tokyo Dome
Photo: Scinsvche via Wikimedia Commons, CC0

International › Japan in the World Baseball Classic: Complete History

The World Baseball Classic is baseball’s biggest world event. Top players from MLB play for their home countries. And no country has won it more than Japan.

Japan won the first one, in 2006. It won again in 2009. Then, in 2023, it won a third time. That was the year Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to end the final.

Japan has also had hard days. It lost in the semifinals in 2013 and 2017. And in 2026, it lost in the quarterfinals. That was its worst finish ever.

This page tells the whole story. We go through every event, game by game. We cover the managers, the stars and the big moments. At the end, there is a timeline and a full list of results.

Here’s the thing. In Japan, the WBC is not just an event. It is one of the biggest TV events of the year.

New to Japanese baseball? Start with how NPB works. For other world events, see our international baseball page.

Quick Facts

  • Team name: Samurai Japan.
  • Titles: 3 (2006, 2009 and 2023). That is the most of any country.
  • Second place: Never. Japan has won every final it has played.
  • Third place: 2013 and 2017.
  • Worst finish: Out in the quarterfinals in 2026.
  • Tournament MVPs: Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006 and 2009. Shohei Ohtani in 2023.
  • Home games: Early games at the Tokyo Dome each time. In 2013, the first round was at the Fukuoka Dome.
  • Unbeaten champion: Japan went 7 and 0 in 2023.
  • Up to date: Through the 2026 event.

What the WBC Is

The WBC began in 2006. MLB and its players’ union helped start it. The world body for baseball and softball, called the WBSC, approves it.

Before the WBC, most big world events did not have MLB stars. The WBC changed that. Now the best players in the world could play for their countries.

The first two were in 2006 and 2009. After that, the plan was to hold it every four years. The 2021 event was pushed to 2023 because of COVID-19. The next one was in 2026.

The early rounds are played in pools. Pools are small groups of teams. Pool games are played in Asia, Latin America and the US. The last rounds have always been at MLB parks in the US.

The Team: Samurai Japan

Japan’s team is called Samurai Japan. In 2009, the team first used the name “Samurai.” In 2012, the name became official.

Most of the players come from NPB, Japan’s top league. Japanese players in MLB can play too. In 2006, two did: Ichiro Suzuki and Akinori Otsuka. Over the years, more and more MLB players joined.

For players who went from NPB to MLB, see our guide to NPB players in MLB.

Japan’s Managers

Each event, Japan has had a new manager.

Year Manager Finish
2006 Sadaharu Oh Won
2009 Tatsunori Hara Won
2013 Koji Yamamoto Third
2017 Hiroki Kokubo Third
2023 Hideki Kuriyama Won
2026 Hirokazu Ibata Last eight

Sadaharu Oh is the man with the most home runs in pro baseball history. Read about him on our Sadaharu Oh page.

2006: The First Champions

At first, Japan was not sure it wanted to play. Some people did not like how MLB ran the event. Others did not like the March dates. But in the end, Japan said yes.

Sadaharu Oh was the manager. At the time, he also ran the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. You can read about that club on our SoftBank Hawks history page.

Round 1, in Tokyo. Japan played at the Tokyo Dome.

  • March 3: Japan 18, China 2.
  • March 4: Japan 14, Chinese Taipei 3.
  • March 5: South Korea 3, Japan 2.

Japan moved on with two wins and one loss.

Round 2, in Anaheim. The games were at Angel Stadium in California.

  • March 12: United States 4, Japan 3.
  • March 14: Japan 6, Mexico 1.
  • March 15: South Korea 2, Japan 1.

Now Japan had just one win and two losses in this round. It looked like Japan was out.

But the US then lost to Mexico. That left Japan, the US and Mexico all with one win each. The tie was broken by runs. Japan had given up runs at the slowest rate. So Japan moved on, just barely.

The semis. On March 18, Japan faced South Korea for the third time. The game was at Petco Park in San Diego. Korea had won the first two.

This time, Japan won 6-0. Kosuke Fukudome and Hitoshi Tamura hit home runs. Koji Uehara got the win.

The final. On March 20, Japan played Cuba. Japan won 10-6.

Japan were the first champions of the World Baseball Classic.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was named MVP. He went 3 and 0. The next year, he joined the Boston Red Sox.

Ichiro and catcher Tomoya Satozaki were named to the All-WBC team. That is the team of the best players in the event.

2009: Back to Back

Tatsunori Hara was the manager in 2009. At the time, he also ran the Yomiuri Giants. Read about that club on our Yomiuri Giants history page.

This time, the early rounds used a new format. A team had to lose twice to be out.

Round 1, in Tokyo.

  • March 5: Japan 4, China 0. Yu Darvish started and gave up no hits in four innings.
  • March 7: Japan 14, South Korea 2. The game ended after seven innings under the mercy rule.
  • March 9: South Korea 1, Japan 0.

Both teams moved on. Korea was first. Japan was second.

Round 2, in San Diego.

  • March 15: Japan 6, Cuba 0.
  • March 17: South Korea 4, Japan 1.
  • March 18: Japan 5, Cuba 0.
  • March 19: Japan 6, South Korea 2.

The semis. On March 22, Japan beat the US 9-4. The game was at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The final. On March 23, Japan played South Korea again. It was the fifth time the two teams met in the event.

Japan led 3-2 in the ninth. Yu Darvish came in to close. Korea tied the game with a two-out single.

In the 10th inning, Ichiro came up. He got a hit. Japan scored two runs. Darvish then got the last outs. Japan won 5-3.

Japan were champions again.

Matsuzaka won MVP for the second time. He went 3 and 0 with a 2.54 ERA. Norichika Aoki and Hisashi Iwakuma were named to the All-WBC team.

In Japan, every game the team played drew big TV ratings.

To read more about Darvish, see our page on Yu Darvish’s NPB years.

2013: The Streak Ends

Before 2013, there was a fight over money. Japan’s players wanted more of the money that came from Japanese sponsors. In July 2012, the players voted not to play. In September 2012, a deal was made. The players agreed to go.

Koji Yamamoto was the manager. No Japanese MLB players were on the team. Darvish and Ichiro both chose not to play.

Round 1, in Fukuoka. The games were at the Fukuoka Dome.

  • March 2: Japan 5, Brazil 3.
  • March 3: Japan 5, China 2.
  • March 6: Cuba 6, Japan 3.

Round 2, in Tokyo.

  • March 8: Japan 4, Chinese Taipei 3, in 10 innings.
  • March 10: Japan 16, Netherlands 4. The game ended after seven innings.
  • March 12: Japan 10, Netherlands 6.

The semis. On March 17, Japan lost to Puerto Rico, 3-1. The game was in San Francisco. Alex Rios hit a two-run home run for Puerto Rico.

Japan finished third. After the game, Japan’s players bowed to the crowd. They bowed to the other team too. It was a sign of respect.

The Dominican Republic won the title.

2017: Unbeaten Until the End

Hiroki Kokubo was the manager. All of Japan’s early games were at the Tokyo Dome.

Round 1.

  • March 7: Japan 11, Cuba 6.
  • March 8: Japan 4, Australia 1.
  • March 10: Japan 7, China 1.

Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh hit .364 and was named MVP of the pool.

Round 2.

  • March 12: Japan 8, Netherlands 6, in 11 innings.
  • March 14: Japan 8, Cuba 5.
  • March 15: Japan 8, Israel 3.

Japan was 6 and 0.

The semis. On March 21, Japan played the US at Dodger Stadium. It was a close, tense game. The US won 2-1.

Japan finished third again. Pitcher Kodai Senga was named to the All-WBC team. The US went on to win its first title.

2023: The Third Title

Hideki Kuriyama was the manager. He had managed Shohei Ohtani with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. You can read about that club on our Nippon-Ham Fighters history page.

This team had big MLB names. Ohtani was on it. So was Darvish. So was Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox. Lars Nootbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals played too.

Round 1, in Tokyo.

  • March 9: Japan 8, China 1. Ohtani got the win.
  • March 10: Japan 13, South Korea 4. Darvish got the win.
  • March 11: Japan 10, Czech Republic 2. Roki Sasaki got the win.
  • March 12: Japan 7, Australia 1.

Japan scored 38 runs and gave up just 8. Ohtani was named MVP of the pool.

Round of eight. On March 16, at the Tokyo Dome, Japan beat Italy 9-3. Kazuma Okamoto hit a three-run home run. He drove in five runs.

Almost half the homes in Japan watched that game on TV. It was the most-watched Samurai Japan game up to then.

The semis. On March 20, in Miami, Japan played Mexico. Mexico went up 3-0 on a home run by Luis Urias. Yoshida tied it with a three-run home run in the seventh. Then Mexico scored two in the eighth to lead 5-3.

Japan got one run back in the eighth. Then came the ninth. Ohtani hit a double on the first pitch. Yoshida walked. Then Munetaka Murakami came up. He hit a double to center field. Two runs scored. Japan won 6-5.

The final. On March 21, in Miami, Japan played the US.

Trea Turner hit a home run for the US in the second inning. Murakami tied it with a home run of his own. Later that inning, Lars Nootbaar drove in a run. Japan led 2-1. Okamoto hit a home run in the fourth to make it 3-1. Kyle Schwarber hit a home run off Darvish in the eighth to make it 3-2.

Then came the ninth. Ohtani came in from the DH spot to pitch.

With two outs, Mike Trout came up. Trout and Ohtani were teammates on the Los Angeles Angels. They were two of the best players in the world.

The count went full. Ohtani threw a slider. Trout swung and missed.

Japan won 3-2. It was Japan’s third title. And it went 7 and 0 to do it.

Ohtani was named MVP. As a hitter, he batted .435. As a pitcher, he had a 1.86 ERA. He was named to the All-WBC team as both a pitcher and a DH. No one else has ever made the team at two spots. Yoshida was also named to the All-WBC team.

The final started at 8 in the morning in Japan. Even so, a huge share of homes in Japan watched it.

2026: Out in the Quarterfinals

Hirokazu Ibata was the manager in 2026. Japan came in as the champion.

For the first time, Japan’s games were not on free TV at home. Netflix had all the rights in Japan. Many fans were not happy about it.

Round 1, in Tokyo.

  • March 6: Japan 13, Chinese Taipei 0. The game ended after seven innings. Japan scored ten runs in the second inning. Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the win. Ohtani hit a home run.
  • March 7: Japan 8, South Korea 6. Ohtani, Masataka Yoshida and Seiya Suzuki all homered. Suzuki hit two.
  • March 8: Japan 4, Australia 3. Yoshida hit a home run.
  • March 10: Japan 9, Czechia 0. All nine runs came in the eighth inning.

Japan won the pool with four wins and no losses.

Round of eight. On March 14, in Miami, Japan played Venezuela.

Japan led 5-2 after three innings. Ohtani and Shota Morishita hit home runs. But Venezuela came back. Ronald Acuna Jr., Maikel Garcia and Wilyer Abreu all homered. Venezuela won 8-5.

It was the first time Japan had failed to make the semifinals. Venezuela went on to win the whole thing. It beat the US 3-2 in the final. Garcia was named MVP.

Japan’s Results, Year by Year

Year Manager Wins Losses Finish Won
2006 Sadaharu Oh 5 3 Won Japan
2009 Tatsunori Hara 7 2 Won Japan
2013 Koji Yamamoto 5 2 Third Dominican Rep.
2017 Hiroki Kokubo 6 1 Third United States
2023 Hideki Kuriyama 7 0 Won Japan
2026 Hirokazu Ibata 4 1 Last eight Venezuela

Add it up. Japan has won 34 games and lost 9 in the WBC.

The Rivalry With South Korea

Japan and South Korea have played many big games in the WBC.

  • 2006: Korea won twice. Then Japan won the semifinal.
  • 2009: They played five times. Japan won three, including the final.
  • 2023: Japan won 13-4 in Tokyo.
  • 2026: Japan won 8-6 in Tokyo.

These games draw huge TV crowds in both countries.

The Stars

Many players have shined for Japan in the WBC. Here are some of the biggest names.

  • Daisuke Matsuzaka: MVP in 2006 and 2009. He is one of only a few players named to the All-WBC team twice.
  • Ichiro Suzuki: Played in 2006 and 2009. Got the big hit in the 2009 final.
  • Yu Darvish: Got the last outs in 2009. Came back in 2023.
  • Koji Uehara: Led the 2006 event in innings and strikeouts.
  • Shohei Ohtani: MVP in 2023. Struck out Trout to end the final.
  • Munetaka Murakami: Hit the walk-off double against Mexico in 2023.
  • Masataka Yoshida: All-WBC in 2023.

Japan and the US have had the most players on All-WBC teams. Each has had 13.

Why the WBC Matters So Much in Japan

The WBC is huge on TV in Japan.

In 2009, Japan’s games all drew high ratings. In 2023, the game against Italy drew almost half the homes in the country. The final drew a huge crowd too. And it started in the morning.

Part of it is pride. Japan loves baseball. Winning the world title means a lot.

Part of it is the stars. Fans get to see Japan’s MLB stars play next to the best from NPB.

Timeline

  • March 20, 2006: Japan beats Cuba 10-6 to win the first WBC.
  • March 23, 2009: Japan beats South Korea 5-3 in 10 innings. Second title.
  • 2012: The “Samurai Japan” name becomes official.
  • March 17, 2013: Japan loses to Puerto Rico in the semifinal. Third place.
  • March 21, 2017: Japan loses to the US 2-1 in the semifinal. Third place.
  • March 20, 2023: Murakami’s walk-off double beats Mexico.
  • March 21, 2023: Ohtani strikes out Trout. Japan beats the US 3-2. Third title.
  • March 14, 2026: Japan loses to Venezuela in the quarterfinals.

Key Terms

  • WBC: The World Baseball Classic.
  • Pool: A small group of teams that play each other early in the event.
  • Mercy rule: A rule that ends a game early when one team is far ahead.
  • All-WBC team: The best players at each spot in an event.
  • Samurai Japan: The name of Japan’s national team.
  • NPB: Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan’s top league.

For more words, see our Japanese baseball glossary.

Common Questions

How many times has Japan won the WBC? Three times: 2006, 2009 and 2023.

Has any country won more? No. Japan has the most titles.

Who struck out Mike Trout in 2023? Shohei Ohtani. It was the last out of the final.

Who was Japan’s manager in 2006? Sadaharu Oh.

What happened in 2026? Japan won its pool. Then it lost to Venezuela 8-5 in the quarterfinals. Venezuela won the title.

Where are the final games played? At MLB parks in the US.

The Bottom Line

Japan has been the best team in WBC history. It won the first two titles. It won again in 2023, with one of the most famous endings in baseball.

The 2026 loss was a shock. But Japan still has more titles than any other country.

Every few years, the whole country stops to watch. And the next WBC will be no different.

For other world events, go back to our international baseball page. For the man who led Japan to its first title, see our Sadaharu Oh page.

Sources