Japanese Heritage Night at Chase Field: A Home Run for Community and Culture
On May 8, the Arizona Diamondbacks hosted their annual Japanese Heritage Celebration, bringing together the Valley’s Japanese American community, local students, and fans for a night that felt more like a festival than a baseball game.
As part of the D-backs’ Asian Heritage Celebration Series, this year’s event had a little bit of everything:
Booths from ASU’s Japanese Student Association, the Japan Business Association of Arizona (JBAA), and Koshio Gumi filled the concourse with info, games, and giveaways.
The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix offered a taste of traditional culture—literally—with Japanese tea, upcoming event flyers, and the chance to try out calligraphy.
Kimono Journey let people try on (and even buy) beautiful kimono right at the ballpark.
If you wandered the main concourse, you could find the Go Club and Phoenix Shogi with Japanese board games, plus tons of friendly faces ready to share stories about Arizona’s close ties to Japan.
The night kicked off with DJ Cheeno spinning at the gates, followed by an incredible taiko drumming performance from Koshio Daiko out on the field. Special guests included Deputy Consul General Naoshige Aoshima from the Japanese Consulate in LA and Honorary Consul Kelly Moeur, both celebrating the deep roots between Arizona and Japan—from nearly 50 years of sister-city ties with Himeji, to the Japanese Friendship Garden and Arizona Matsuri’s 41-year run.
This year’s exclusive Japanese-inspired D-backs jersey sold out fast, but the real highlight was the energy: fans of all backgrounds hanging out, trying new things, and making memories at the ballpark. Events like these show just how strong the Arizona-Japan connection really is.
Check out our photo gallery below for a closer look at the booths, performances, and some of the best moments from the night.