Why don't we have more catchers in Japan with better offensive skills?
It used to be youngsters were told the quickest way to get to the major leagues (or the upper crust) of Japanese pro baseball is to become a catcher. Put on the "tools of ignorance," suck up the injuries and be the one who might handle the ball on every pitch.
When you look at the current crop of backstops on the 12 Central and Pacific League teams, you might find some with good defensive skills but, when it comes to offense, there is little or no punch, and it seems players have not recently followed the advice to become a catcher.