Who he is

The following text is a re-edited interview originally published in the social and eco- monthly magazine.

Do you know what the "Baseball Challenge League (BC League)“ is? It was established in 2007, as the second professional baseball independent league in Japan, and currently consists of eight teams.

The name has become widely known as a professional baseball league thanks to the YOKOHAMA DeNA BAYSTARS, a team producing good results coached by Alexander Ramón Ramírez -a former player who was active in Gunma Diamond Pegasus.

Takehito Akima is establishing a new baseball team to participate in the BC League.

Mr. Akima is in involved as a pro bono in the organization named "Sports For Smile” which promotes social changes through transforming society with sport. He started to learn how sport can bring about social change both in Japan and abroad. He thought "What social change can I bring about?” After an extensive research, he came across Brazilian baseball. "The Japanese descendants that live in Brazil have a Japanese identity which developed through baseball."

After interviews with a Japanese descendant involved in baseball in Brazil, Mr. Akima confirmed that Brazilian baseball is a social capital in both countries.

He visited Brazil multiple times on his own expense, to see the local baseball organizations such as the Yakult Baseball Academy (/Centro de Treinamento Yakult) and noticed that there were a lot of young people who had learned to play baseball even though they did not play for a professional baseball team. He also identified the problem that the MLB (Major League Baseball) in the United States starts recruiting earlier than the officially agreed upon date.

He wants to support bringing the young baseball players from Brazil to Japan, because it was the Japanese who immigrated to Brazil started the Brazilian baseball which had originated in Japan. Mr. Akima's research focuses on Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

He continued; "There are about 10,000 Brazilian people living in Hamamatsu, where the manufacturing industry is thriving. The city is aiming for development of multiculturalism. It is actively promoting the exchange of foreign and Japanese residents. Therefore, I proposed the validity of the sports community to contribute to the multi-cultural coexistence of Hamamatsu City."

He established the "General Incorporated Association of Shizuoka Baseball Fan Cub" in April 2015. After visiting Tokyo from Hamamatsu by the bullet train (Shinkansen) for about two years, he managed to gain support from the city councilor involved in promoting sports. Currently, he is fundraising to gain means that would allow his to meet to enter the BC League.

"This project is a community business that aims to solve problems locally (Hamamatsu City), as well as a social business addressing problems from the global perspective (Brazil).

It is considered to be one of the business models of regional revitalization by creating teams that embody social inclusion, without dividing Japanese and foreigners.”

This is just the beginning of Mr. Akima's activities in Hamamatsu.

Mr. Akima is currently preparing to start a baseball team, at the same time working as an outside director of a major local enterprise. The following is an introductory letter by a person well acquainted with Mr. Akima

Takehito had the courage to quit his job at a major accounting firm and move to Hamatsu, where he knew no one.
His imagination combined with his pragmatism allowed to him to start this project based on the spirit of local innovation.
Through his well-founded knowledge and leadership skills, he is able to get others involved and realize his goals.

The three points above, in my opinion, make Takehito Akima not only an entrepreneur but also an innovator.

1.

Until he moved to Hamamatsu in April last year, Takehito was an accomplished businessman working at one of the 4 big accounting firms in Tokyo. However, the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011 made him reevaluate his priorities, as a result of which, he decided to become a social entrepreneur.

He decided he wanted to establish a platform to prepare for the future threat of the Great Nankai Trough Earthquake and moved to Hamamatsu where he continues his social activity, despite the fact the he knew no one there and that he was originally from Yokohama. He is a bearer of an unusual talent in leadership that Japan has so few of, but so desperately needs. I am convinced that he’s exceptional in terms of his strong will and convictions even comparing to other strongly motivated young people.

2.

His goal to establish from the scratch and run a baseball team to enter the BC League is fine example of a social enterprise. Shortly after starting his grass root activities in Hamamatsu, revolutionary endeavors were recognized when he was selected for the acceleration program (providing support to social entrepreneurs) by Unreasonable Institute, a global organization located in Colorado, USA. He envisions his professional baseball team to be able to serve as a platform for the local community in case of natural disasters and other states of emergency. He also wants his team to be a sports club with close bonds with the local community on a daily basis.

3.

Simultaneously to his efforts to start the baseball team, Takehito is also trying to utilize the experience he gained at his previous job to provide support in managing a local businesses in Hamamatsu. Starting last year, he has also been serving as a management consultant at my company and has been an outside director(/An outside corporate auditor) starting this year. He is reliable not only thanks to his excellent skills as a professional which he gained in his previous job but also because of his personality. He even managed to collect contributions last year through crowd funding. I am convinced he will succeed in his goal to bring about local innovation through the professional baseball team he is about to start.