Former Japanese baseball star and TV personality Eiji Itō dies at 86

Eiji Itō (板東英二), a former Chunichi Dragons pitcher and later television personality, died on 22 July 2024 at the age of 86 from chronic heart failure. He was renowned for recording 83 strikeouts at the 1958 summer Koshien tournament and for a 11‑year professional career in which he amassed 77 wins. After retiring from baseball, Itō became a well‑known TV host and actor, winning the Japan Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and appearing in programmes such as “Magical Brain Power!!”.

Radio announcer Kazuo Tokumitsu paid tribute to Itō on a live broadcast of Nippon Broadcasting’s “Tokumitsu and Kuri! Saturday Song Saturday”, playing the Dragons’ fight song “Moe yo Dragons!” and recalling their shared era as “heroic peers”. Former teammate and longtime friend Shun Ite described Itō’s final moments as peaceful, noting that he spent his last day surrounded by family, ate lunch, and passed away without suffering. The family’s official statement expressed gratitude for the calm, family‑filled farewell.

Itō’s death has prompted reminiscences of both his sporting achievements and his later entertainment career, underscoring his lasting impact on Japanese baseball and popular culture.