The NBRP exhibition titled “Baseball’s Bridge Across the Pacific: Celebrating the Legacy of Japanese American Baseball” pays tribute to the rich legacy of Nikkei (Japanese American) pioneers and the important role of US-Japan Baseball diplomacy. It consists of historical panels and prewar artifacts that chronicle the introduction of baseball to Japan in the early 1870’s to the first Japanese American teams in 1903, the early tours by these Nikkei teams to Asia starting in 1914 helped usher in the start of professional baseball in Japan in 1936.
Rare 1927 film footage of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Japanese American Baseball All-Stars
Events
- Baseball Hall of Fame YAKYU Exhibit – July 25, 2025 – Present
- 2026 MLB All-Star Village, Philadelphia, PA
Capital One All-Star Village – Saturday, July 11 – Tuesday, July 14
Located inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center
Our Mission
The Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded by Kerry Yo Nakagawa to preserve the history of Japanese American Baseball.
Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Japanese American Baseball all-stars playing together in Fresno, CA at Fireman’s Ballpark. Only on-field 16mm footage taken during the eight city tour.
The Nisei were on Gehrig’s team and beat Babe Ruth’s 13-3. Taizo Toshiyuki filmed these ballplayers on October 29, 1927.
Through the spirit of Gail Zenimura Dunn’s passing, we obtained the reel and digitized it to this format.
Group photo includes (Lt to Rt ), Johnny Nakagawa, Lou Gehrig, Kenichi Zenimura, Babe Ruth, Fred Yoshikawa and Harvey Iwata. ( Courtesy of Taizo Toshiyuki family, Frank Kamiyama photographer and NBRP ).