A Maine man was remembered Sunday for introducing the game of baseball to Japan.
Horace Wilson, born in Gorham, traveled to Tokyo in 1870 to teach English. During breaks in their class time, he taught his students the game.
It was the first time baseball was ever played in Japan.
Its popularity took off from there, eventually becoming the national sport.
On Sunday, Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida visited the Gorham farmhouse where Wilson was born.
Yoshida played professional baseball in Japan for several seasons before joining the Red Sox.
In a ceremony at the farm, he was introduced to one of Wilson’s descendants, his great-great-niece, Abagail Sanborn, who said she enjoyed the meeting very much.
“It was lovely. I mean, Mr. Yoshida was a wonderful, eloquent, humble guy. It was great to meet him. My baseball-loving relatives would be so happy to think that he was here, and that maybe part of his presence here had to do with one of our ancestors,” Sanborn said.
For his part, the Red Sox leftfielder, speaking through his interpreter, expressed his thoughts about baseball’s rich history.
“It’s definitely a legacy and a lot of the former players have passed on to me,” Yoshida said.
Later, the University of Southern Maine hosted an event celebrating Maine and Japan’s shared baseball heritage, where Seiichiro Takahashi, the consulate-general of Japan in Boston, recognized Wilson’s contribution to Japanese athletics and culture.
Also attending were Portland Mayor Mark Dion, Maine Rep. Ellie Sato, University of Southern Maine President Jacqueline Edmondson and others. All agreed the shared history between Maine and Japanese baseball would only get stronger, and with Yoshida’s help and timely hitting, the Red Sox should win the World Series in 2025.
Correction: A previous version of the story stated the incorrect location of the event. It was held at the University of Southern Maine. A previous version also referred to Horace Wilson by an incorrect last name.