Wayne Graczyk, a longtime columnist for The Japan Times, passed away on Tuesday night or overnight in Kumamoto. He was 68.

Graczyk was in Kumamoto to help Nippon Television (NTV) cover a game between the Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

He was a fixture in the Japanese baseball and English-language sports communities for over three decades. Many took to social media to express their condolences as word began to spread Thursday morning.