As the nation basked in the triumph of Japan's victory in the inaugural World Baseball Classic the previous day, the government added to the euphoria Wednesday by saying it is considering bestowing awards on the entire team.
The idea was unveiled a day after Team Japan beat three-time Olympic champion Cuba 10-6 at Petco Park in San Diego to put an end to a 16-nation tournament that had been touted as bringing together the best players in the game.
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Kenji Kosaka told reporters the ministry is planning to bestow sports contribution awards to the team, the coaches and manager Sadaharu Oh, who also manages the Softbank Hawks in Fukuoka.