On August 30th, titled "PR1DE the FINAL," the retirement game and retirement ceremony for Saitama Seibu Lions player Takumi Kuriyama were held at Belluna Dome.

Takumi Kuriyama, who appeared at a retirement press conference in Tokyo earlier that morning, returned to his familiar home stadium to work up a sweat during practice.

He appeared in the retirement game as the "No. 6 DH." When Kuriyama's name was announced in the starting line-up, a particularly loud cheer from The Lions fans echoed through the dome. The Lions nine, wearing their number 1 jerseys, rushed onto the ground, and the play ball was called at 17:01.

Kuriyama hit the ball well until his third At Bat, but was blocked by the opponent's good defense. However, in his fourth At Bat in the bottom of the 8th inning, he hit the first pitch for a hit to center fielder that went past the left of the second baseman. Just as he said in his retirement press conference, he added one more to his hit count and finished his final game.

Allies rush to the ceremony; the dome erupts at a single word from Hideo Nomo.

The retirement ceremony was held after the game. The stadium lights dimmed, and the event began with a movie screening. The content looked back on his career from childhood to the present day, narrated by himself. He revealed his feelings about the three years on the farm team where he said he "gave it his all," the 2008 battle for the most hits with Yasuyuki Kataoka, the episode of achieving 2,000 hits, and his thoughts on continuing to play for The Lions for 25 years.

Next was the presentation of bouquets. Owner Takashi Goto presented a bouquet and a commemorative gift. Furthermore, a close ally who had worked hard alongside Kuriyama since their younger days and achieved the Japan Series championship with The Lions in 2008 rushed to the scene.

Hideo Nomo, whom Kuriyama admires, also attended the event. He said, 'Thank you for all the fun times so far. Seeing you grow as we practiced together until today has become a personal treasure of mine.' He added, 'And one more thing. I want you to retract your retirement!'—a comment that drew applause from The Lions fans. He concluded with a message of support, saying, 'I want to support Kuriyama's future decisions and actions. Thank you.'

A passionate message from Kuriyama to The Lions fans who have continued to support them.

The climax of the ceremony was a speech by Kuriyama. Having announced last winter that 2026 would be his "final season," and holding the special event "PR1DE SERIES" starting this spring—a rare way in the baseball world to run through a final season—he expressed his gratitude to those involved, saying, "To all the PR1DE staff who cooperated with me. I think it was long yet short. Thank you for your efforts in connecting the fans and me."

Then, turning toward the left field side, he called out to The Lions fans, "Thank you so much for supporting me through both the hard times and the fun times." To his passionate final message, "For 25 years, I have remained Kuriyama of The Lions. Now and forever, I am Kuriyama of The Lions," a great round of applause and cheers arose.

During the lap around the stadium, Kuriyama stopped in front of The Lions cheering squad in left field and listened intently to the fight songs and cheering themes, feeling as though he wouldn't be able to hear them anymore. Afterwards, invited by Sumitani and Takeya Nakamura, he headed toward the mound and took a commemorative photo with his teammate wearing number 1. A victory toss was also held with the participation of Rakuten Eagles pitcher Kishi, and Kuriyama was tossed into the air three times.

The final day of his active career began with a retirement press conference in the morning. After the ceremony, Kuriyama spoke calmly to the press, saying, 'Now that it's over, it feels like it went by in a flash. I was able to spend the best day possible. I'd like to take some time to look back on it later.'

Photography: Minagi Niwa
Text: Ayako Kikuchi