TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japanese baseball great Isao Harimoto, an atomic bomb survivor, died at a hospital in Tokyo on Wednesday, an informed source said. He was 86.
Harimoto, a Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer, set the Nippon Professional Baseball career hits record with 3,085 in 2,752 games, an achievement made despite severe burns from an accident at age 4 that left him with limited mobility in the fingers of his right hand.
Born in Hiroshima to Korean parents, Harimoto survived the atomic bombing of the western Japan city by the United States on Aug. 6, 1945, at age 5.
After graduating from high school in Osaka, Harimoto entered professional baseball in 1959 and was named Rookie of the Year. He won the MVP award in 1962.
A seven-time batting champion, he played for the Toei/Nippon Ham franchise, the Yomiuri Giants and the Lotte Orions, earning the nickname “Hit Machine” for his remarkable consistency at the plate.
After ending his career in 1981, Harimoto became a familiar voice on television as a commentator.
Later in life, Harimoto, who lost his eldest sister in the atomic bombing, spoke about his experience as a survivor and often stressed the importance of peace in media interviews. He also spoke of the discrimination he faced in Japan because of his Korean roots.