Little League Affiliation?

I'm not sure, but Takuya Sakamoto, Yuki Mizuma, and Yuksuke Taira are really impressive. I think those three are going to carry the way for them to win the LLWS.

Does anyone remember Yuutaro Tanaka? He was on the 2003 team for Japan when they won the LLWS. Anyone know if he will be a pro?

The official Japan Little League home page is here (in Japanese). There are 32 leagues in Eastern Kanto, which is where Chiba is. The Eastern Kanto leagues are listed on this page, along with contact information for each league.

For 2005 (as of January 1), there are 297 leagues made up of a total of 679 teams through 12 regions throughout Japan.

Hope this helps.

How can I register an American team in Japan? I have a team on one of the American military bases. I really want to give these kids a chance to at least compete.

That would be up to the league in your area. All I can do is give you advice on how to get something like this started.

First, go to the elementary school on the base and contact the Japanese guy in charge of the office. He'd make the best liaison as he's familiar with the kids, speaks both languages, and knows how to get through bureaucracy. If he's a big baseball fan, you should have no problem recruiting his help. (Please don't push him if he's not.)

Second, decide if you're wanting to join the league or want to just have a few scrimmage games. I remember my high school team (Yo-Hi - Yokosuka Navy Base) once hosted a nearby Japanese high school, and we were slaughtered. Take into consideration security policies on the base, as taking guests in and out has become a lot harder now than it was in the 1980s. Even with the base commander behind such a plan, regulations for bringing that many people on base can be difficult for home games. If you decide to join the league (and are accepted), you may find it easier to play all of your games off base.

Third, find the nearest league at the link provided above and make initial contact. You want someone who speaks Japanese to do this. While it may be affiliated with Little League U.S.A., everything done locally will be in Japanese, and it would reflect poorly on the base to assume everyone speaks English. Conversely, done well, this could really help the military's image in the area.

Fourth, if you are hosting a team for a day (i.e. not part of the league), provide sports drinks for the kids and have some trinkets of some kind as souvenirs. Ash trays (little red metal buckets) will need to be provided on the grounds for the opposing coaches. If you have a BBQ after the game, the adults will want beer, even though it may not be "politically correct" for a children's event by U.S. standards. (I don't fit in well in this regard as I can't stand beer. But I don't judge.)

Fifth, gambatte!

Hope this helps.

Thanks a lot, man! I already have been invited to a tournament with Japanese!