The Orix players, who won two consecutive victories in professional baseball and the Pacific League, held a victory parade in Osaka and shared their joy with the gathered fans.
Orix's victory parade was held on Midosuji, the main street in Osaka, where the team is based.
At the ceremony held prior to the parade, the bouquets were received by manager Satoshi Nakajima, players' president Masanao Yoshida, and ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Coach Nakajima said, "Thanks to everyone's support, we were able to become No. 1 in Japan." '' he said.
After that, the athletes paraded about 900 meters in six cars, including convertibles and buses with no roof.
The fans who gathered along the road gave a big round of applause and shared their joy by taking pictures with their smartphones.
According to the executive committee, about 300,000 people visited the roadside.
A woman from Hirakata City, Osaka said, "I'm glad I got to see the players up close. I want them to do their best to aim for the top spot in Japan for the second year in a row."
Also, a man from Chiba Prefecture said, "This year's team was tenacious. The players were very close and it was a lot of fun."