Baseball: Marines vs. Lions

Baseball: Marines vs. Lions

Wu Nien-ting of the Seibu Lions hits a solo home run in the fourth inning of a Pacific League baseball game against the Lotte Marines at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa in Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 6, 2022. Marines pitcher Ayumu Ishikawa surrendered three straight home runs to Tomoya Mori, Hotaka Yamakawa and Wu during the inning.

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Baseball agent Scott Boras meets the press as Major League Baseball's general manager meetings get under way in Las Vegas on Nov. 12, 2025. Boras said his client Tatsuya Imai, pitcher of Japan's Seibu Lions, will be posted for MLB teams on Nov. 19.

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller speaks to the press as Major League Baseball's general manager meetings get under way in Las Vegas on Nov. 11, 2025. Preller expressed interest in acquiring pitcher Tatsuya Imai of the Seibu Lions following the Japanese Pacific League team's announcement that it has begun the process of posting the 27-year-old right-hander to MLB.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks players celebrate after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks players celebrate after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks players celebrate after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks players celebrate after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo is tossed in the air by his players after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo is tossed in the air by his players after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo is tossed in the air by his players after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo is tossed in the air by his players after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

Baseball: Hawks clinch Pacific League title

SoftBank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo is tossed in the air by his players after the baseball team won the Pacific League pennant for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Sept. 27, 2025.

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo=September 1,2025,Tokyo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo=September 1,2025,Tokyo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo

Seibu Group's Signboard and Logo=September 1,2025,Tokyo

Exterior, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store

Exterior, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store

Exterior, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store=July 3,2025,Tokyo

Appearance, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro and Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro

Appearance, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro and Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro

Appearance, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro and Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro=July 3,2025,Tokyo

Exterior, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store

Exterior, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store

Exterior, logo and signage of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store=July 9,2025,Tokyo

Seibu Holdings exterior, logo and signage

Seibu Holdings exterior, logo and signage

Seibu Holdings exterior, logo and signage=December 24,2024,Tokyo

Seibu Holdings exterior, logo and signage

Seibu Holdings exterior, logo and signage

Seibu Holdings exterior, logo and signage=December 24,2024,Tokyo

Baseball: Seibu Lions' Hirasawa

Baseball: Seibu Lions' Hirasawa

Taiga Hirasawa poses for photos at an introductory press conference in Tokorozawa in the eastern Japan prefecture of Saitama on Dec. 12, 2024, after joining the Seibu Lions from the Lotte Marines.

Baseball: Lotte pitcher Sasaki

Baseball: Lotte pitcher Sasaki

Roki Sasaki of the Lotte Marines pitches on Aug. 1, 2024, for the first time since June 8, in a Pacific League game against the Seibu Lions at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba, east of Tokyo. The 22-year-old hard-throwing right-hander was removed from Lotte's active roster on June 13 due to problems with his throwing arm.

Baseball: SoftBank Hawks slugger Hotaka Yamakawa

Baseball: SoftBank Hawks slugger Hotaka Yamakawa

Hotaka Yamakawa of the SoftBank Hawks hits a solo home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Seibu Lions at Mizuho PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on May 17, 2024.

Baseball: Hawks vs. Lions

Baseball: Hawks vs. Lions

Kensuke Kondo of the Softbank Hawks hits a two-run single in the fifth inning of a Pacific League baseball game against the Seibu Lions on April 13, 2024, at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo.

Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka touches the mound after throwing against the Nippon Ham Fighters at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, near Tokyo, on Oct. 19, 2021, as the former Boston Red Sox right-hander ended his 23-year baseball career.

Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka faces off Orix BlueWave's Ichiro Suzuki in 1999.

Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka smiles at a hotel in Nango in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 30, 1999, after being notified that he has received the Pacific League's rookie of the year award.

Japan: Strong Winds Blow Parts Of Station Building Roof Off In Shinjuku, Tokyo

A winter low-pressure system brought strong winds to the Kanto region on Tuesday, February 27, with high waves hitting coastal areas, gusts knocking down streetlights and causing walls to topple over in Tokyo. The video shows a repair team working on fixing the roof of the Seibu Shinjuku Station.

Baseball: Orix Buffaloes pitcher Shumpeita Yamashita

Baseball: Orix Buffaloes pitcher Shumpeita Yamashita

Shumpeita Yamashita of the Orix Buffaloes pitches in a baseball game against the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan, on March 31, 2023.

Baseball in Japan

Baseball in Japan

TOKOROZAWA, Japan, Kyodo - Wu Nien-ting (39) of the Seibu Lions is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run in the second inning of a Pacific League baseball game against the Rakuten Eagles at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, eastern Japan, on April 24, 2022.

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

FUKUOKA, Japan Kyodo - Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa wears his new jersey after an introductory press conference by the SoftBank Hawks at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault. (Kyodo)

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa attends a press conference at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023, as he joins the SoftBank Hawks. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa attends a press conference at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023, as he joins the SoftBank Hawks. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa attends a press conference at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023, as he joins the SoftBank Hawks. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa wears his new jersey after an introductory press conference by the SoftBank Hawks at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa poses for photos after a press conference at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023, as he joins the SoftBank Hawks. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Baseball: Hawks acquire suspended slugger Yamakawa

Three-time Pacific League home run leader Hotaka Yamakawa bows during a press conference at PayPay Dome in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka on Dec. 19, 2023, as he joins the SoftBank Hawks. He was suspended for much of the 2023 season by PL rivals the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.

Seibu Lions infielder Yamakawa

Seibu Lions infielder Yamakawa

Seibu Lions infielder Hotaka Yamakawa meets the press in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 5, 2023. In August, Tokyo prosecutors decided not to indict the three-time Pacific League home run leader and member of Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic-winning team over an allegation of rape due to insufficient evidence.

Seibu Lions infielder Yamakawa

Seibu Lions infielder Yamakawa

Seibu Lions infielder Hotaka Yamakawa meets the press in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 5, 2023. In August, Tokyo prosecutors decided not to indict the three-time Pacific League home run leader and member of Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic-winning team over an allegation of rape due to insufficient evidence.

Seibu Lions infielder Yamakawa

Seibu Lions infielder Yamakawa

Seibu Lions infielder Hotaka Yamakawa meets the press in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 5, 2023. In August, Tokyo prosecutors decided not to indict the three-time Pacific League home run leader and member of Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic-winning team over an allegation of rape due to insufficient evidence.

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

TOKYO, Japan - Striking workers represented by a labor union at Japanese department store operator Sogo & Seibu Co. march in the streets of Tokyo's Toshima Ward on Aug. 31, 2023. Store workers are opposing plans by parent Seven & i Holdings Co. to sell the 10-store chain to a U.S.-based investment fund.

Seibu department store logo

Seibu department store logo

File photo taken Aug. 30, 2023, shows a logo sign atop Seibu department store's flagship location in Tokyo's Ikebukuro area.

Baseball: Seibu Lions player Hotaka Yamakawa

Baseball: Seibu Lions player Hotaka Yamakawa

Undated photo shows Seibu Lions player Hotaka Yamakawa. Seibu said on Sept. 4, 2023, Yamakawa has been suspended indefinitely from Nippon Professional Baseball games, after his alleged rape case was dropped for lack of evidence.

Seibu department workers strike

Seibu department workers strike

A pedestrian passes by the shuttered flagship Seibu department store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro area on Aug. 31, 2023, amid a labor strike against parent Seven & i Holdings Co.'s planned sale of the 10-store Sogo & Seibu chain to a U.S.-based investment fund.

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Sogo & Seibu labor union chief Yasuhiro Teraoka (C) is surrounded by reporters during a union rally in Tokyo's Toshima Ward on Aug. 31, 2023. Workers at the Seibu Ikebukuro department store went on strike the same day protesting a planned sale of their company, a first for a Japanese department store in around 60 years.

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Striking workers represented by a labor union at Japanese department store operator Sogo & Seibu Co. march in the streets of Tokyo's Toshima Ward on Aug. 31, 2023. Store workers are opposing plans by parent Seven & i Holdings Co. to sell the 10-store chain to a U.S.-based investment fund.

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

People supporting a strike called by a union representing workers at Sogo & Seibu Co. hold banners in front of the department store operator's flagship Seibu Ikebukuro store in Tokyo on Aug. 31, 2023.

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023, shows a notice placed at Seibu department store's flagship Ikebukuro location in Tokyo's Toshima Ward, announcing its forced closure due to a labor strike.

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Seibu Ikebukuro workers strike

Photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023, shows the Seibu Ikebukuro department store in Tokyo's Toshima Ward. Store workers staged a strike the same day, opposing plans by parent Seven & i Holdings Co. to sell the 10-store Sogo & Seibu chain to a U.S.-based investment fund.

Seibu Ikebukuro department store

Seibu Ikebukuro department store

Photo taken on Aug. 30, 2023, shows the Seibu Ikebukuro department store in Tokyo. A labor union representing workers at Japanese department stores operated by Sogo & Seibu Co. said the same day that members would go on strike at the store to protest a buyout deal by a U.S.-based investment fund.