Rakuten Inc

New Hanshin Tigers catcher Kenji Johjima's return to Japanese baseball was lauded by many in the NPB community. Just not by Katsuya Nomura, perhaps Japan's best ever at the position. Recently asked about Johjima's return, the outspoken Nomura was ready to stoke the flames in the odd war of words that has existed between the two for some time.

I don't want to talk about Johjima, that idiot   -Katsuya Nomura

 

Former Minnesota Twins right-hander Juan Morillo has agreed to a one-year, 50 million yen deal with the Rakuten Eagles, the Japanese club said Thursday. The 26-year-old Dominican spent most of the 2009 season with Triple-A Rochester, going 6-6 with five saves and a 3.90 ERA in 46 relief appearances. Morillo was limited to three relief outings for the Twins this year.  

The Pacific League on Thursday released the schedule for the 2010 regular season, with the top three teams of the 2008 season host the opening series on March 20-22.  

The Yokohama BayStars announced Wednesday they have hired former Yomiuri Giants pitching coach Takao Obana as their new manager.  

Japanese baseball will have at least one American manager for the eighth consecutive year in 2010, as Marty Brown takes over as field boss of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after four years managing the Hiroshima Carp. Trey Hillman began the string when he became skipper of the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2003, and the trend reached its peak in 2007 when there were four U.S. managers: Brown, Hillman, Bobby Valentine with the Chiba Lotte Marines and Terry Collins on the Orix Buffaloes. When he assumes the

It was a positive experience for me and several (Carp) players who got opportunities.   -Marty Brown

 

Rakuten Eagles Manager Katsuya Nomura, 74, the oldest professional baseball club manager in Japan, resigned at the end of this season.  

November 4, 2009 - Akamai Japan K.K., a subsidiary of Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leader in powering video, dynamic transactions and enterprise applications online, today announced that its Dynamic Site Solution has been adopted by Rakuten Ichiba, one of the largest Internet shopping portals operated by Rakuten Inc. in Japan, to accelerate the performance of its eCommerce site.  

Japan's largest Net shopping mall operator Rakuten Inc said Thursday it has agreed to invest 3 billion yen in bitWallet Inc., the operator of the Edy electronic money service, to turn it into a subsidiary. Under the accord, Rakuten will purchase new shares to be floated next month by bitWallet and acquire an equity stake of more than 50% in it, it said. Rakuten will seek to strengthen the Edy-related business by gaining access to consumers who have actively taken advantage of the Edy service, it said, n  

Akamai Japan K.K., a subsidiary of Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leader in powering video, dynamic transactions and enterprise applications online, today announced that its Dynamic Site Solution has been adopted by Rakuten Ichiba, one of the largest Internet shopping portals operated by Rakuten Inc. in Japan, to accelerate the performance of its eCommerce site.  

Former Hiroshima Carp manager and senior Rakuten Eagles official Toshiyuki Mimura died Tuesday at a Sendai hospital, Rakuten said.