Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto dies in Tokyo at age 86

2 sources1 min read • Latest: Sep 10, 2026, 9:56 AM

Last updated Sep 10, 2026

Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto dies in Tokyo at age 86
Summary

Isao Harimoto, the Nippon Professional Baseball League's all-time hit leader, has died in Tokyo at age 86. Known as the Hit Machine, Harimoto recorded 3,085 hits over a 23-season career and remains the only player in NPB history to reach the 3,000-hit milestone. He also finished his career with 504 home runs and 319 stolen bases, a statistical combination achieved by only three players in Major League Baseball history. Born to Korean parents in Hiroshima in 1940, Harimoto survived the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. He overcame severe childhood hand burns to become an 18-time all-star and a key member of the 1962 Japan Series-winning Toei Flyers. Inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, he later helped establish the KBO league in South Korea and transitioned into a career in broadcasting.

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By the Numbers
  • Isao Harimoto holds the NPB record with 3,085 career hits.
  • He remains the only NPB player to record 500 home runs and 300 stolen bases.
  • The 18-time all-star was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
  • He survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a five-year-old child.
Latest Updates
  • 9:56 AMYahoo SportsAtomic bomb survivor who became baseball legend - Harimoto dies age 86
  • 9:50 AMBBC SportAtomic bomb survivor who became baseball legend - Harimoto dies age 86
What they're saying
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Korean-Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto, who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to record the most hits in Japanese baseball history, has died at the age of 86 in Tokyo.

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Korean-Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto, who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to record the most hits in Japanese baseball history, has died at the age of 86 in Tokyo.

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