Iguchi era gets off to winning start as Japan beats Taiwan

Japan manager Tadahito Iguchi prepares to exchange team sheets ahead of the match against Taiwan at Tokyo Dome on Thursday. | JIJI

Nov 13, 2026

Tadahito Iguchi could not have scripted a better start to his tenure as Samurai Japan manager.

Tomoya Masaki picked up where he left off in the Japan Series, leading off Japan’s game against Taiwan with a home run to help launch the Iguchi era in a 5-0 victory at the Asia Professional Baseball Championship at Tokyo Dome on Thursday night.

Masaki, the Japan Series MVP for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks last month, hit another home run in the third inning and added an RBI single in the fifth. Rui Muneyama finished with a solo homer and a pair of doubles, and Misho Nishikawa had an RBI single among his two hits. Yumeto Kanemaru dominated from the mound with seven scoreless innings.

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