The Sportsworld of the Hanshin Tigers: Professional Baseball in Modern Japan.

Anthropologist William ("Bill") Kelly offers a nuanced approach to understanding Japan and baseball in Japan that avoids this danger well. Anyone wanting a clear-headed understanding of Japan and professional sport in contemporary Japan should start here. There are other sports and other themes that might be identified, but this book provides great insights into the current state of Japan as well as specifically about the sport of baseball. [Extracted from the article]