Sadayuki Sakakibara appointed as new NPB Commissioner

Sadayuki Sakakibara has been appointed as the new Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Commissioner at the governing board meeting held on December 5, 2022. He became the 15th NPB Commissioner and will serve for a two-year term, after being unanimously approved by the 12 Japan pro teams owners.

The 79-year old businessman led Keidanren, the country's largest business lobby, from June 2014 to May 2018 after serving as president and chairman at chemicals firm Toray Industries Inc. He also served as chairman of Kansai Electric Power Co.

“I would like to dedicate my best effort in further spreading the charm of the baseball/softball for the people around the world especially, in Asia and Pacific region,” Sakakibara said in a letter to WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

Sakakibara succeeds Atsushi Saito, who served in the position from 2017 to 2022. Saito was an advocate of international baseball, who declared himself in favor of the globalization of baseball after successfully hosting the II Premier12 Finals in Tokyo, Japan. He was also the NPB Commissioner during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

The Commissioner of Baseball is the highest office in Japan's NPB. Morita Fukui was the first-ever NPB Commisioner from 1951-1954.