Isao Harimoto, the current all-time hits leader among Japanese players, watches batting practice before the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels on April 16, 2009 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington [Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images via AFP]By AFPPublished On 10 Sep 202610 Sep 2026Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto, who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and became the first player from his country to reach 3,000 hits, has died aged 86, reports said.
Born to Korean parents in Japan, Harimoto learned to play left-handed when an accident at the age of four left him with severe burns and limited mobility in his right hand.
He survived the atomic bombing as a five-year-old, his mother jumping in front of him and his sister to shield them from the blast.
He went on to rack up 3,085 career hits, which still stand as a record in Nippon Professional Baseball.
He played for several teams in Japan, including the all-powerful Yomiuri Giants, and earned himself the nickname “Hit Machine” for his batting prowess.
He retired in 1981 after 23 professional seasons and worked as a TV commentator.
Harimoto was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
