(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
    Japan third team confirmed as participant Baseball Week Haarlem 2026
Nederlands
...Reigning champion will be in Haarlem again...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
On Thursday (Januay 29), the Organizing Committee of the Baseball Week Haarlem announced the third participant for this years 32nd edition of the biennial international tournament, which will be held June 26 through July 4.
After earlier announcents that Curaçao and Chinese Taipei again will be part of the wellknown event, it was now confirmed that Japan, the reigning Baseball Week-champion, also will be back in Haarlem.
With Curaçao, Chinese Taipei and Japan three of the five foreign teams that will come to Haarlem are now confirmed.
The remaining two will be announced in the upcoming days.
Of course, host Netherlands also will participate again, as it has done since the first edition in 1961.
The field-of-participants consists of six teams.
Japan will participate for the 17th time in the Baseball Week, the 13th consecutive time since 2000 and the 16th time in 17 Weeks organized since 1992.
Japan made its debut almost 50 years ago in 1978, becoming the second Asian country to participate in the Baseball Week.
The first was South Korea in 1976.
Japan immediately was successful when it first participated, as it won the tournament, which then was the tenth edition of the Haarlem Baseball Week.
Back then, Japan lost one of its eight games played.
The lone defeat was a 2-1 loss in eleven innings against the Netherlands
After winning in 1978, it took 14 years for Japan to return to Haarlem.
That was in 1992 and again, Japan won the Week.
From then on, Japan traveled to Haarlem to participate in almost all Weeks organized since then.
The lone exeption was 1998.
After winning in 1978 and 1992, Japan also won the Baseball Week in 1994.
From 1996 on through 2012, Japan finished in fourth place four times and in fifth place twice.
In the eight tournaments Japan participated in this period, the team won bronze twice (2004 and 2010).
In 2014 and 2016, Japan was back on top, finishing in second place, then was the winner again in 2018.
After finishing fourth in 2022, Japan won the Week for the fifth time in 2024, defeating the USA 10-4 in the Final.
In the confirmation of Japan on Thursday, the following was announced:
Team Japan will once again participate in this year's Baseball Week, the world's largest invitational baseball tournament.
The event, which will be held between June 26 and July 4, 2026, is familiar territory for the Japanese.
The team has participated in the Baseball Week on several occasions and promises to entertain tens of thousands of fans in Haarlem with highly engaging baseball.
Japan has won five Baseball Week tournaments, including the 2024 edition.
A team from the country has also participated in the event since 1978, making Team Japan a true crowd favorite.
Tournament Director Peter Herkemij is already looking forward to the summer of 2026:
,,Team Japan is the title holder of the Baseball Week and will do everything in its power to maintain that status.
The Japanese will come to Haarlem with a delegation of highly talented players who combine passion, discipline, and tactical insight into an extremely attractive team.
For years, Team Japan has been a real crowd-puller at the Pim Mulier Stadium, and 2026 will be no different.''
The Baseball Week is a biennial baseball event in which six national teams are invited to participate.
The WBSC-sanctioned event is part of Haarlem's intangible heritage and brings tens of thousands of fans to the Pim Mulier Stadium each year.
Regular ticket sales for Baseball Week Haarlem begin on February 26th through the official Baseball Week channels.
Passes are now available.
(January 29)
Related Articles:
 Curaçao confirmed as participant Baseball Week Haarlem 2026. (January 21)
Chinese Taipei also confirmed as participant Baseball Week Haarlem 2026. (January 24)
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