When Japan and the United States were fighting during World War II, English was considered an enemy language that was to be wiped from Japanese society. That included within baseball, the American sport imported to Japan in the 1800s, which saw English terms replaced by Japanese words.
As noted by the Hanshin Tigers’ official website, the word for “one strike” was replaced by “yoshi ippon” while “yoshi” replaced “safe” and “hike” was used instead of “out,” among other changes.
The feelings of enmity were so deep that, according to an Associated Press article that appeared in the New York Times in 1944, some Japanese soldiers charging at U.S. Marines were heard screaming, “To hell with Babe Ruth!”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.