Articles & Reflections
Exploring the Life and Times of Abe Isoo
July 27, 2026 · Abe Isoo Archive
Modern NPB fan culture — the chants, brass bands, and coordinated cheering — is a direct descendant of the collegiate baseball world Abe Isoo helped build in the early 20th century.
Read More →March 19, 2026 · Abe Isoo Archive
Born into the declining samurai class in 1865 Fukuoka, Abe Isoo's journey from traditional Japan to Christian socialism began with his education at Doshisha University and Hartford Theological Seminary.
Read More →March 19, 2026 · Abe Isoo Archive
Abe Isoo's transformative years at Hartford Theological Seminary exposed him to socialism through Edward Bellamy's literature and international perspectives that shaped his lifelong commitment to peaceful international cooperation.
Read More →March 19, 2026 · Abe Isoo Archive
Abe Isoo's pioneering work at Waseda University and his insistence that baseball build character created the foundation for Japan's distinctive baseball culture — a culture whose spirit still shows in the game's greatest modern player, Shohei Ohtani.
Read More →March 5, 2024 · Abe Isoo Archive
Abe Isoo co-founded Japan's first Social Democratic Party in 1901, which was prohibited by the government after just one day, beginning his decades-long involvement in parliamentary socialism.
Read More →February 10, 2024 · Abe Isoo Archive
During the Russo-Japanese War, Abe Isoo corresponded personally with Leo Tolstoy and published Tolstoy's letter in the antiwar newspaper Heimin Shimbun, causing a significant stir among Japanese intellectuals.
Read More →January 15, 2024 · Abe Isoo Archive
Abe Isoo founded the Waseda University Baseball Club in 1901 and led Japan's first overseas sports tour to the United States in 1905, earning him the title 'Father of Japanese Baseball.'
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