Electric equipment contractor KIKUZAKI Electric formally established an internal baseball division on October 1, 2026, shifting its regional athletic programs from volunteer outings to a structured corporate operation, KIKUZAKI Electric reported. President Hirodai Kikuchi appointed former Koryo High School baseball manager Tetsuyuki Nakai as special advisor to the newly formed department on the same date.
The newly minted division inherits several existing youth initiatives in Tama, Tokyo. KIKUZAKI Electric previously supported the local youth baseball team Suwa Indians. In 2025, former Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters player Yudai Furukawa joined the company as an employee. Furukawa and company staff currently operate the weekday elementary school program KZ BASEBALL ACADEMY, and the firm plans to launch a junior high school hardball team named the Tama Guardians Pony in the spring of 2027.
Kikuzaki Electric Incorporates Baseball Activities into Official Division
KIKUZAKI Electric decided to incorporate its baseball activities into an official division to provide proper administrative backing and safety oversight for participating children and parents. Kikuchi explained that the company aims to foster discipline, autonomy, and mutual respect rather than focus solely on athletic victories.
Nakai joins the division to provide guidance and supervision on coaching philosophy, team building, player development, scouting, and regional baseball promotion. Nakai served as manager of the Koryo High School baseball team for decades, leading the program to victory in the 1991 and 2003 National High School Invitational Baseball Tournaments and runner-up finishes in the National High School Baseball Championship in 2007 and 2017. His former players include professional standouts Tomohiro Nioka, Yusuke Nomura, Seiji Kobayashi, Kohei Arihara, Keita Sano, and Rui Muneyama. Nakai stepped down as Koryo manager on August 20, 2025, and retired from the school on July 31, 2026.
Company Evaluates Past Committee Findings Before Offering Advisory Position
A third-party committee previously issued critical findings regarding Nakai’s conduct and organizational management during his tenure at Koryo High School. KIKUZAKI Electric stated that it evaluated these findings seriously before offering the advisory position. According to corporate statements, company management held multiple discussions with Nakai regarding how he interprets past criticisms and what changes he intends to implement when working with youth players.
Management emphasized that Nakai will not operate independently. KIKUZAKI Electric retains operational control and has instituted monitoring mechanisms to verify coaching conditions continuously. The safety framework includes compliance training for instructors, regular practice inspections by corporate employees, scheduled hearings with players and parents, and an independent reporting channel for grievances that protects reporting players from retaliation. Company executives review operational status regularly and retain the authority to halt activities or remove instructors if issues arise.
Baseball Division Plans Free Introductory Clinics at Regional Schools
The baseball division’s operations extend beyond team management. Nakai and Furukawa will collaborate on player scouting and development across company programs. The division also plans to dispatch instructors to conduct free introductory baseball clinics at kindergartens and elementary schools throughout the Tama area.
Kikuchi stated that the company views the baseball division as an educational initiative designed to help children develop into responsible adults while maintaining a secure environment to continue playing sports. The division’s administrative staff continues to build out training schedules and safety protocols ahead of the 2027 launch of the Tama Guardians Pony hardball team.
