'Reprimanding Sloppy Play'... Japanese Professional Baseball Hit King, Second-Generation Zainichi Korean Jang Hoon, Passes Away

Condolences Pour in Across Japan

Jang Hoon, a second-generation Zainichi Korean and commentator known for holding the record for the most hits in Japanese professional baseball (Japanese name Isao Harimoto), passed away on the morning of the 9th. He was 86 years old.

On the 10th, major Japanese media outlets, including the public broadcaster NHK, simultaneously reported the news and expressed their condolences.

Japanese professional baseball hero Jang Hoon (Japanese name Isao Harimoto), a Japanese-Korean commentator, passed away at the age of 86. The photo shows him posing at the collection donation ceremony held in Seoul in 2018. Photo by Yonhap News.

Jang made a major mark in Japanese professional baseball history, recording a total of 3,085 career hits—the most in the league's history. In addition, he was known for actively interacting with the Korean baseball community, helping with the launch of the Korea Baseball Organization and fostering exchanges between the two countries' baseball circles.

Jang, a second-generation Zainichi Korean, was born in Hiroshima and debuted with Toei, the predecessor to today’s Nippon Ham Fighters. He distinguished himself as a rookie in his first year. With his unique batting style, he became known as a "hit machine," earning the title of batting champion a total of eight times and achieving legendary status.

According to NHK, he later moved to Yomiuri, leading the team to league championships twice. Subsequently, while playing for Lotte, he became the first player in professional baseball history to achieve a career total of 3,000 hits. His career totals include 504 home runs, which ranks seventh all-time, and 319 stolen bases, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

After retiring from playing, Jang devoted himself to promoting exchanges with the Korean baseball community and built a prominent career as a commentator. He became widely known through his work at private broadcaster TBS, where he was a commentator for over 20 years, from 1982 to 2006. He was especially recognized for his sharp analysis, not only in baseball but also in other sports and regarding various athletes.

NHK reported, "He was famous for shouting 'Katsu!' (a reprimand) at sloppy play, and responding with brief words of praise for good, outstanding plays. He was known for his strictness as well as his warm and generous personality, which earned him great popularity among viewers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.