The Orix professional baseball team's camp had its first holiday, and the new players took on the challenge of making Japanese sweets in hopes of becoming the best in Japan, making nerikiri shaped like baseball balls.
The Orix camp started in Miyazaki City on the 2nd of this month, and on the 5th was the first day off, and all 12 new players tried their hand at making Japanese sweets at a building that houses a commercial facility in front of Miyazaki Station.
According to a household budget survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Miyazaki City ranked number one in Japan in purchasing the Japanese sweets ``manju'' per household in 2022, at 3.65 times per household, far exceeding the national average of 2.13 times.
In honor of this, the players made nerikiri in the shape of a baseball, hoping for their team to regain the number one spot in Japan.
Under the guidance of a craftsman, they rolled white koshian-based nerikiri dough and colored it with food coloring to resemble the seams of a ball.
They then showed each other how well they completed their nerikiri.
Seiya Yokoyama, the No. 1 draft pick, said, ``It was my first time making Japanese sweets, so it was fun.At camp, I want to focus on the challenge more than the results.''
Pitcher Kosuke Kawachi, who was drafted second, said, ``It was so much fun that I thought the time passed in an instant, and I'm glad it was delicious.From the 6th, I gained the strength to work hard again.''