You Gotta Have Wa (1989)

Whiting explores through anecdotes the differences between Japanese and American baseball culture and practice. A very enjoyable and informative book. ( )

What better way to celebrate the Fall Classic than reading a baseball book. Though written two decades ago, Whiting gives us a peak into besuboru, or, Japanese baseball. One would think that the unchanging rules of the game would dictate a commonality, whether played in the United States, Japan, or anywhere else. However, that simplistic view is quickly eradicated when the author helps the reader take into account differences in culture and strategy. In Japan, baseball teams are marketing arms of corporations (that is, overseen by business people, not baseball people). Players are subservient to the team, and specifically, to the manager and coaches. They train almost year round, believing that the harder and longer one trains, the better player a person can become. Furthermore, Japanese baseball strategy is dictated on small ball, precision, and saving face, dragging games to four hours or longer, with the possibility of games ending in a tie. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is reading about the challenges in acculturation of imported (gaijin) players, mostly former MLB castaways. While Japanese besuboro can be defined by its spirit it ultimately lacks the soul so evident in baseball played in the West. ( )

An interesting take on the cultural differences between Japan and the United States as told through baseball. Whiting's book only goes up through the late 80's so it misses a large amount of the globalization that has occurred in both countries over the past few decades. However, that being said it was a really quick read that gave a brief synopsis of different facets involved in the Japanese game. I would have liked a more coherent narrative instead of the chapter's functioning as article pieces for magazines. I would recommend it for anyone trying to understand the cultural interaction between the U.S. and Japan. ( )

A fascinating cultural study of baseball as played in Japan, and the cultural clash that occurs when Western ballplayers play in the Japanese leagues. A must for fans of the international pastime. ( )

Surprisingly, considering all of my interest in Japan and in baseball, this is the first book on Japanese baseball that I've read. Like most good sports books, it's a pretty fast read, although unlike most baseball books, there's not really a central sports narrative. Instead, it's about what the sport is like in Japan, and how the players are treated, both native and foreign.

The answer seems to be, bad and worse. The culture is very punitive on the native Japanese players, with non-stop training and incredibly strict codes of behavior. Arguably, it's worse than most of the society in general, I'd say, although Whiting basically wants to make out Japanese baseball to be an extension of the society itself. Certainly, there's something to that - the chapters on the Koshien tournament and the Yomiuri Giants make the case pretty cleanly. The things you wouldn't be allowed to do in your company, like take leave to go to a parent's deathbed, or the general moral codes (always defer to the older and wiser ones, don't complain about pain, etc.) are here, too.

For the foreigners, there's the feeling of not really being wanted, of only grudgingly being part of the team, and of having to take all of the blame for things going wrong even when you did a good job. There's the additional part, too, of not wanting the foreigner to be too successful, and so they have to deal with widened strike zones, constant walking when they've been hitting well, etc.

Of course, it's not like any of this is news for people who deal with Japan, although I really wonder how much of what he describes still holds. For example, he talks about the travails of the foreign manager in Japan, but with Bobby Valentine and Trey Hillman having won championships now, it's hard to see. The loyalty to the team must have weakened, with more Japanese stars coming to the US. Other changes likely have occurred, as well; I'll look to his other work for that.

Anyway, it's a good read, and a nice intro to Japanese baseball; I look forward to reading some of his more recent work, to get a feel for what's going on these days. ( )