"Celebrity Watch Hunting" is a serial column that takes a snapshot of what kind of watches the world's celebrities are wearing. This time, we'll be looking at Shigeo Nagashima, the lifetime honorary manager of the Yomiuri Giants, who was awarded the Order of Culture on November 3rd. We'll be focusing on the Piaget watch that Nagashima, who is also affectionately known as "Mr. Giants" and "Mr. Professional Baseball," wore when he received the People's Honor Award in 2013.
Text by Yukaco Numamoto
Article published on June 2021, 11
An unforgettable scene for many baseball fans
On Culture Day, November 3, 2021, a ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace to award the Order of Culture to Shigeo Nagashima, lifetime honorary manager of the professional baseball team Yomiuri Giants, in a morning coat and wheelchair. He bowed deeply upon receiving the medal from the Emperor. While the reasons for the award included his participation in the Tokyo Olympic torch relay and his contributions to the opening ceremony, his greatest contribution was his many years of contributions to professional baseball.
Manager Nagashima has set spectacular records and received numerous prestigious awards, but this time we would like to focus on the Piaget he wore at the People's Honor Award ceremony in 13, when he was seen beaming with a smile.
He received the People's Honor Award together with Hideki Matsui, a former student of his when he was a manager. Prior to the award ceremony, Hideki Matsui's retirement ceremony was held at Tokyo Dome before the Yomiuri Giants' official game. Both men gave speeches, and the two then drove around the stadium in a custom-made convertible, waving to the cheering fans.
The three were all smiles as they were presented with uniforms bearing the number "96," a nod to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's 96th term as Prime Minister. Matsui served as pitcher at the opening ceremony that followed, and Manager Nagashima, who appeared after the call of "Number 4, third base, Shigeo Nagashima, uniform number 3," responded with a bold, full swing.
Incidentally, the catcher was Manager Hara, and the plate umpire was former Prime Minister, making for an impressive combination. It was precisely because of this day that the scene of Nagashima and Matsui Hideki appearing together during the torch relay at the opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020 was so moving for many fans.
