Japan Baseball Legend And Atomic Bomb Survivor Harimoto Dies At 86

Baseball legend survived Hiroshima bombing before becoming Japan’s first 3,000-hit player.

September 10, 2026 at 11:28 AM

TOKYO: Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto, who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and became the first player from his country to reach 3,000 professional hits, has died at the age of 86, reports said on Thursday.

Born to Korean parents in Japan, Harimoto learned to play baseball left-handed after an accident at the age of four left him with severe burns and limited movement in his right hand.

Isao Harimoto, Japanese baseball’s all-time hit king, has died. He was 86. https://t.co/mvV8hkvG59 pic.twitter.com/hjJwO9tfFi

— The Japan Times (@japantimes) September 10, 2026

He was five years old when he survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima. His mother shielded him and his sister by throwing herself in front of them as the blast struck.

Isao Harimoto, Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor and Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductee who became the first NPB player to reach 3,000 career hits, has passed away at 86 : r/baseball

3,085 career hits

Harimoto went on to collect 3,085 career hits, a record that remains unmatched in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played for several Japanese teams, including the Yomiuri Giants, and earned the nickname “Hit Machine” for his exceptional batting ability.

Japanese baseball great and atomic bomb survivor Harimoto dies at 86 | FMT

Harimoto retired in 1981 after a 23-year professional career and later worked as a television baseball commentator. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.