Hideki Kuriyama, Chief Baseball Officer, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Co., Ltd.

2026.06.24

To be the most beloved team in the world, by connecting with the hearts of each and every individual.

■ Profile
Born in Tokyo in 1961. After attending Soka High School and Tokyo Gakugei University, he joined the Yakult Swallows in 1984 as an undrafted free agent. He won the Golden Glove Award in 1989 and retired from playing at the end of the 1990 season. After retirement, he worked as a sports caster and professor at Hakuoh University. In 2012, he became the manager of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He managed the team for 10 years until 2021, winning the Pacific League championship twice. In 2016, he led the team to the Japan Series championship and received the Shoriki Matsutaro Award. From 2022, he served as the manager of the Japanese national baseball team "Samurai Japan" top team, and in 2023, he led them to their first World Baseball Classic championship in three tournaments. In 2024, he was appointed Chief Baseball Officer (CBO) of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the highest-ranking officer in charge of team organization and operations.

In 2023, Hideki Kuriyama led the Samurai Japan national team to victory in the World Baseball Classic. What path did this legendary manager, who united his team with overwhelming belief, take to arrive at that conviction? We spoke with Kuriyama, currently the CBO of the Fighters, about the setbacks he experienced in the professional world and his unwavering commitment to supporting each individual as a coach, as well as his passionate thoughts on the future of baseball.

During my university years, I didn't have a clear plan for the future or anything I was working towards. However, I loved baseball and had an image of wanting to become a school teacher. Looking back now, I think that vague, aimless attitude was a good thing. Because I was eager to absorb everything, I was able to be curious and find things interesting.
However, baseball has always been my favorite and most important thing since I was a child. Since childhood, I've dreamed of playing baseball in the world of professional baseball. Up until then, I had always experienced the regret of "not doing something," so when I was thinking about my future in college, I decided in my heart that I would no longer blame others and would make decisions on my own responsibility. I chose "regretting doing something rather than regretting not doing it," and I took the tryout for professional baseball. It wasn't about whether I could do it or not; I felt that I should decide what I wanted to do myself and move forward. I didn't want to give up on professional baseball, and I never even considered giving up.

■Think about what you can do for those around you.

During my time as an athlete, I struggled relentlessly, solely focused on becoming a good player. I was intimidated by the overwhelming difference in skill I faced in the professional world and hit a wall, but that experience has led me to where I am today. I thought about how I could best utilize my abilities to help the organization win, and through continuous effort and ingenuity, I realized that there are ways to succeed even if you lack ability. No matter what position you're in, you can always think about how to help the organization win and what will make the people around you happy. When you think about what you can do to make someone happy, what you need to do will naturally become clear.
Everyone has something they can use to their advantage. However, if you focus too much on "how you want to be" and make "you" the subject, you'll actually lose sight of your path. I believe that your place will naturally emerge when you bring joy to others and receive thanks from everyone.
During my time as a player, the presence of my coach, who stood by me even when things weren't going well, and the people who showed me affection, was a huge source of support. I believe the most painful thing for a person is being ignored by everyone. That's why I was taught that truly engaging with each individual and showing them genuine support is of paramount importance, and I still cherish that belief as a coach today.

■The happiness of every single person involved with the Fighters is of utmost importance.

Currently, as the Team Baseball Officer, I oversee the entire team, including draft strategy meetings and team formation. When I communicate something to others, I always keep in mind that "maximizing each individual's potential is everything." I believe that motivation and gratitude arise when one's own heart is valued. Everyone feels things differently, so it's important to put yourself in their shoes and empathize with them as if it were your own problem. Always maintain that awareness and completely trust the other person. That trust will surely be conveyed to them and will lead to their own self-confidence. I value communicating what I truly feel and talking to each person individually.
What I find most rewarding is seeing the players' smiles. When I see their happy faces as they perform well or feel they've grown, I feel glad that I was able to help them. Those smiles lead to smiles for everyone involved with the Fighters, and those are the moments when I feel truly glad to be a part of it.
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters aim to be the most beloved team in the world. We want to be a team that values people, where employees feel glad to work here, their families feel proud, and fans feel glad to be fans.
Furthermore, we are mindful not only of the team's needs but also of the individual circumstances of each player. For example, if it would be beneficial for a player to challenge themselves overseas while they are still young and have the opportunity to grow, we will encourage them to go, even if it means the team may have a harder time winning. This is because the happiness of everyone involved with the Fighters is of paramount importance to us.

■Baseball is a sport where "people" score runs.

I hope that Japanese baseball will grow to be as big as Major League Baseball. It's frustrating to see that players who go to the majors earn many times more than they did in Japan. I want to create a future where children can dream and say, "I want to be like that!"
Baseball is appealing because it combines elements of both individual and team play. That's why it's important to feel a sense of responsibility while also acting for the sake of others. Furthermore, it's the only ball game where "people," not "balls," score points, and I believe that's where the essence of baseball lies. Points are scored when a player makes it back to home plate. I feel that this aspect, too, highlights the wonderful aspect of baseball: "people are important." Baseball is imbued with morality and manners, so I hope it will be widely used as a tool for educating children.
To expand Japanese baseball, my first priority is to increase the number of professional baseball teams. Some say there are economic limitations, but we won't know unless we try. If we can develop players and raise the level of competition, Japan should be able to truly compete with the world. I want to create an environment where the children who will carry the future of Japan can have exciting dreams.

■Message to university students

Student life is a time when you can absorb a lot and think deeply. From what I've seen of many people, success isn't necessarily guaranteed by high ability. What's important is how you utilize the abilities you have and what kind of effort you put in to achieve that. You yourself are often the least aware of your own abilities. However, everyone possesses wonderful hidden potential. The important thing is how you bring it out. Don't worry about whether you can or can't do it; think of it simply as doing it or not doing it. The moment you think you can't, you become unable to do it. There are many abilities dormant within you that you are unaware of. First, believe in them. No one sets limits. The ceiling is much higher than you think. So, stop thinking in terms of limits.
Furthermore, the more failures you experience, the more you can grow. This is because people tend not to think much when things are going well. However, we can learn a great deal from failure. I hope you will develop the mindset to value failure so much that you can even consider it lucky because it allows you to grow.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on December 11, 2026 by Satsuki Sakakura, a third-year student at Tokyo Metropolitan University

Haruna Shoji (4th year, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences) / Kisei Ishii (2nd year, Musashino Art University) / Ayatsuki Sakakura (4th year, Tokyo Metropolitan University) / Mayuna Yoshimatsu (4th year, Musashino University) / Otsuka Masuda (2nd year, Dokkyo University)