Tiger's 13 strokes back - Blowfish

Japan, Inc., Jan, 2003

Who are the most popular sports stars in Japan? In the 10th annual survey of 2,000 Japanese conducted by the Chuo Research Co., Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners, with 23.0 percent of the votes, was head and shoulders above the other candidates. Second was a baseball star from an earlier era, "Mr.

Giants" Shigeo Nagashima, who received 8.7 percent of the vote. Third was Giants' slugging outfielder Hideki Matsui (now a free agent and regarded as a prime candidate for the US major leagues), with 8.3 percent. The top 10 were rounded off by soccer pro Hidetoshi Nakata (4.8%), San Francisco Giants outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo (3.2), Hanshin Tigers manager Senichi Hoshino (2.8), sumo grand champion Takanohana (2.4), Olympic marathon champion Naoko "Q chan" Takahasbi (2.3), all-time home run record holder Sadaharu Oh (2.1) and Yomiuri Giants Golden Glove winner Yoshinobu Takahashi (2.0). Baseball players, by the way, accounted for 18 of the top 30, with sumo and soccer both represented by five each, and golf by three. The list contained only two women: marathoner Takahashi and No. 12, Olympic judo medalist Ryoko Tamura. Tamura was followed by the sole non-Japanese on the list: Tiger Woods.