For many years, players from the Dominican Republic have been active in Japanese professional baseball. In the current Pacific League, there are players such as Franmil Reyes, who won Home Run and RBI in 2025, pitcher Perdomo, the best reliever pitcher in 2023, and Gregory Polanco, who hit 20 Home Run for three consecutive years from his first year in Japan.

On June 12th of this year, "Dominican Republic Day" was held at ES CON FIELD. The first pitch at this event, which allowed first baseman to experience Dominican Republic culture, was thrown by Edward Aníbal Pérez Reyes, the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Japan.

This time, we interviewed Ambassador Perez. We asked him about the role of baseball in the Dominican Republic, its exchanges with Japan, another baseball powerhouse, and Dominican Republic players who are active in Japan.

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As garnered attention at the "2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC™" in March, the Dominican Republic has produced numerous star players. The country's culture is the foundation of its status as one of the world's leading baseball nations.

"In the Dominican Republic, baseball is such an important element that there's a saying, 'Babies are born holding a bat and a ball in their hands.' It's a part of everyday life for children, and even in environments where bats and balls aren't readily available, children play by using broom handles as bats and rolled-up socks as balls. baseball is also an important sport for developing the habit of practicing and the spirit of teamwork."

The existence of "baseball" that connects two countries separated by the ocean.

In Japan, too, baseball is deeply intertwined with culture and daily life. Ambassador Perez, who has had a career as a diplomat in various international organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), says that baseball serves as a bridge connecting Japan and the Dominican Republic.

Getting to know each other's countries and experiencing their charms through baseball—the "Dominican Republic Day" event, held jointly with Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, perfectly embodied this idea.

At the stadium, Reyes Player, Rodolfo Castro Player, Saurin Lao In addition to an exhibition of photographs showing pitcher 's life in his home country, the event will feature performances of Dominican Republic's representative dances, "merengue" and "bachata," as well as displays of carnival costumes, offering an opportunity to experience culture beyond baseball.

first baseman Perez, who took mound for the first pitch that day, reflected, "I could feel the energy of the crowd, and it was a truly wonderful time. I was filled with gratitude to the team that prepared everything and to all the fans. It was a moment where I could feel the connection between people, and I felt like everyone was giving me hugs. I also felt everyone's understanding and affection for the Dominican Republic, and it was a very moving moment."

first baseman pitch was a lighthearted affair, with Reyes acting as the batter, Castro as catcher, and Miguel Sanó of the Chunichi Dragons acting as the umpire.

"Being surrounded by three Dominican Republic players who are doing so well in Japan made me really nervous, but it was also a wonderful experience. Just before I was about to pitch, Reyes joked, 'I'm going to hit home run,' and we all laughed. I think the fans were smiling along with us, and that moment was truly a happy one."

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Ambassador Perez was not only captivated by the excitement of the event, but also by ES CON FIELD itself.

"I've visited stadiums all over the world, but ES CON FIELD is particularly high-level, a modern building, and a really pleasant place to be. They're currently building a stadium in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, and I hope it will be as wonderful as ES CON FIELD. I was so impressed that I even asked which company was in charge of the construction," he revealed with a smile.

Also, before the match that day, Reyes was presented with a meritorious service award by the Dominican Republic Embassy. How did this award come about? To be continued in Part 2.

[Click here for Part 2]

Interview and text by Yuna Takahashi