Technology Use in Japanese Baseball

- Is there a Questec or Questec type system used for unpire feedback?

Yes and no. NTV has a 3-D system setup at Tokyo Dome that instantly traces the ball and shows a computer generated replay of the path of the pitch through the strike zone. (From what I've read about Questec, it does something similar, plus makes judgement calls.) It's called "Pitch Trax," or something to that effect. However, to the best of my knowledge, it is only used by commentators in their analysis of the game as it happens. It's part of the entertainment package.

- Is video/DVD analysis of hitting/pitching used as extensively as in the States?

From what I've read, video analysis is used by players moreso than in North America. (I don't know if including Canada has a bearing on the comparison to just the States or not.)

- Are any vision improvement systems used?

I don't understand the question. Like what? Like systems I've seen on the Discovery Channel where you hit lights on a board when the light up to improve vision and reaction speed? I'm not familiar with any use of such a system.

- Is any technology not uses in MLB used in Japan?

Asobous [English section under construction since 2000] has a system whereby each pitch, it's type, location, and result, are gathered into a database and shown graphically for both pitchers and hitters, creating hot zones and cold zones. It's a SABRmatrician's dream database.

Many Japanese are much more open to using data mining techniques to figure out how to pitch to batters than MLB teams are. Yes, I know the A's are very much into SABRmetrics. But scientific and statistical analysis of the opposition's weak spots to focus on are much more accepted as a standard strategy here than in North America. At least, the press here gives the impression that MLB is all about strength vs. strength over strategy. Feel free to correct that assumption.