On the 29th, the first day of the long holiday period, Mr. Hideki Matsui, who played for the professional baseball giants and the Yankees of the major leagues, held a baseball class and introduced the joy of baseball to the children by demonstrating his batting skills.
Since it was the first day of a long holiday, 35 elementary school students from Hokkaido, Osaka, and other parts of Japan participated in the baseball class held at the Giants Stadium in Kawasaki City.
Mr. Matsui first explained the key points of "watching the ball carefully and swinging the bat strongly and accurately," and gave advice to the children while serving as a batting pitcher.
After this, Mr. Matsui showed off his batting and when he hit a big ball to the outfield, the children cheered loudly.
A fifth-grade elementary school boy from Sapporo City said, "I was able to hit the ball back well that Mr. Matsui threw me, and it was a lot of fun, and I want to become a player like Mr. Matsui."
Mr. Matsui, who runs an NPO that aims to popularize baseball in the United States after retiring from the game, said, "I could feel the desire of all the children to become better and they were energetic, and I would like to continue to convey the joy of baseball to the younger generation."