Over 300,000 fans flooded the center of Hiroshima on Saturday as the Hiroshima Carp celebrated their first Central League pennant in 25 years with a parade, while pitcher Hiroki Kuroda marked his last day in uniform.

In the team's first parade since the franchise's maiden CL pennant 41 years ago, most players boarded open buses, while manager Koichi Ogata, Kuroda and veteran infielder Takahiro Arai rode in open convertibles in their procession through a 3-km sea of red-and-white clad Carp fans from Peace Boulevard, south of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to Mazda Stadium.

The new addition to the team's CL Championship monument on the site of the former Hiroshima Municipal Stadium was revealed as this season's record was inscribed along with those of previous Carp championship teams.