Itsuki Takemoto's Journey from Osaka to the Island Mound 

Another notable face within the realm of international student- athletes, as well as the baseball circuit, is none other than the University of Hawaii’s ace pitcher Itsuki Takemoto.

Hailing from Osaka, Japan, Takemoto had everything going for him regarding his recruitment to play in the United States. He had the talent and the drive that made him highly sought after for numerous programs across the country; however, what held him back from having a fully seamless transition was the language barrier.

Takemoto understood that the transition away from home was going to be anything but easy, regarding baseball skills and cultural differences between himself and his teammates, however, he put his best foot forward and found ways to adapt, overcome, and more importantly, conquer both on and off the field. 

When asked to elaborate on how different the style of baseball in America was compared to that of what he grew up in Japan, he thought for a moment and explained:

 

“The style of baseball that we play in Japan is very different. We use smaller baseballs, with a lot of bunting and hitting involved in the game. But here, everyone hits very well and very hard. It is very different.”

 

Aside from adapting to playing in the United States, adapting to speaking the language was next on Takemoto’s list. Learning the language was no easy task, and though he came to the United States knowing a decent amount of English, Takemoto longed to expand his understanding further. 

So, when he was allowed to play summer baseball for the infamous Cape Cod Baseball League, he pushed himself to rely on his teammates and his summer experiences to expand his understanding of English. 

 

“Thanks to my school and summer programs, I learned more. Sometimes, I couldn’t understand a bit, so during the summer, I took the time to learn more. My teammates and coaches had been very kind and understanding,” he recalled his summer. “I learned more and more by talking and watching movies like ‘Anyone but You’ and ‘Super Mario Brothers. ’”

 

What Takemoto had learned this summer emphasized the language barriers that more international student- athletes face when transitioning to college athletics. However, he expressed more and more the gratitude he had for the patience his teammates have had for him so far in his time within the States. 

He also expressed that out of watching both ‘Anyone but You’ and ‘Super Mario Brothers’ this summer,  ‘Anyone but You’ comes highly recommended by him and is very much the superior film between the two.