With the DeNA BayStars entering their second Japan Series in three years, this week I’ve decided to post this 2024 interview with the team owner Tomiko Namba. Namab explains how DeNA acquired the BayStars and transformed a money-losing franchise into a profitable and winning club. This interview was previously published in the 2025 book In the Japanese Ballpark: behind the Scenes of Nippon Professional Baseball (University of Nebraska Press) by Robert Fitts.

After receiving her MBA from Harvard Business School, Tomoko Namba became a partner at McKinsey & Company before she founded DeNA, one of Japan’s largest mobile- technology companies. She became the first woman to own an NPB team when she took control of the BayStars in 2015. Six months after this interview, the BayStars won their first Japan Series under DeNA’s ownership.

As the owner of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, my passion for baseball runs deep. I often enjoy watching games from a regular seat in the stands, where I find immense pleasure in cheering along with our fans, enjoying a beer under the bright blue sky. The atmosphere is electric, and I love singing along and high fiving with everyone.

My love for baseball dates back to my childhood, when it was the only professional sport available. Growing up in Niigata, I could only watch Giants games on tv. In those days, everyone was either a Giants fan or simply anti- Giants. The first professional NPB game I attended was between the Nankai Hawks and the Lotte Orions from the Pacific League. This was a monumental event in my life because professional baseball games were a rare occurrence in rural areas. It was something special, a spectacle usually confined to television.

I vividly remember the excitement when a game was scheduled in Niigata. My father asked if I wanted to go, and my sister and I eagerly agreed. On the day of the game, my mother, dressed in her best clothes, looked noticeably different and was the most excited among us. However, my father hadn’t anticipated her enthusiasm and had only secured three tickets. True to her traditional Japanese values, my mother gracefully bowed out, joking she had forgotten to wash the dishes and returned home. This memory is etched in my mind, a bittersweet yet cherished moment. Although we felt sorry for my mother, we thoroughly enjoyed the game and shared every detail with her upon our return. Her excitement to hear about the game made the experience even more memorable.

I founded DeNA, but after twelve years, my husband fell seriously ill, and I decided to step down to care for him. We faced this challenge together. During this time, the new management team expressed interest in acquiring a baseball team. Initially, I was against the idea, arguing that it was a significant departure from our core business and that we lacked experience in this field. However, they saw it as a rare and prestigious opportunity, given the limited number of teams. After thorough discussions and addressing my concerns about profitability and operational knowledge, they presented well- prepared answers and convinced me to consider the acquisition.

DeNA was relatively new and not widely recognized at the time. While we excelled at college- campus recruiting, parents were often unfamiliar with DeNA, leading to questions like, “What is DeNA?” and “The founder is female?” To establish a stronger reputation and improve our branding, acquiring a baseball team seemed advantageous. It would increase DeNA’s visibility and prestige. Additionally, the management team had a genuine passion for baseball. Trusting their preparation and vision, I agreed to pursue the acquisition of the Yokohama BayStars.

I was not the initial owner of the team, as I was absent at the time. Makoto Haruta, who became the chairman of DeNA after I stepped down, served as the first owner. He had a deep understanding of baseball. I later returned to DeNA full- time, and I assumed the role of owner in January 2015, becoming the first female owner in the NPB. While this made head-lines, it didn’t hold much personal significance for me, as I’ve often been the first woman to achieve a number of milestones in my career.

Historically, professional baseball was seen as a philanthropic endeavor or a means to boost employee morale, often operating at a loss. Ownership changes typically occurred when the parent company could no longer sustain these losses. We aimed to shift this paradigm by leveraging our business acumen to make the BayStars a successful enterprise. Achieving profitability ensures the team’s stability, irrespective of DeNA’s business performance, and eliminates the possible need to sell the team down the line. This financial stability is crucial for providing a consistent environment for players and coaches.

By demonstrating how to make the BayStars profitable, we also contributed to the sports industry as a whole. For the sports industry to grow, the sport itself must be profitable, creating a virtuous cycle of expanding growth. If baseball teams cannot achieve profitability, there is little hope for other professional sports like basketball or soccer, as baseball is the biggest professional sport in Japan. Increasing the business scale of the NPB is crucial, requiring collective efforts from all twelve teams. In this regard, there is much we can learn from the United States. While the level of baseball here is very high, the business scale is vastly different. We cannot pay star players the same salaries as in the United States due to our business size.

Running a baseball business is relatively straightforward, with revenue streams from tickets, concessions, merchandise, broadcasting, and sponsorships— all interlinked with attendance. When we acquired the Bay Stars, attendance was abysmal. We understood it would take time to improve the team’s strength, so our immediate focus was on other ways to engage fans and make it exciting and fun to be in the stadium, even if the team lost. That was a major reason why we appointed Kiyoshi Nakahata as our first manager. He is an iconic and energetic figure who was also an entertainer, and his charisma and engagement with fans and media created a lively atmosphere. Nakahata-san’s popularity helped draw more fans, and his enthusiastic fan interactions inspired the players to do the same. This decision was strategic, and Nakahata-san’s presence indeed immediately boosted fan engagement.

As the number of fans increased, we introduced various attractions and special packages, such as ¥1 million tickets that included perks like getting to ride in a limousine and helicopter tours, and a full ticket refund if you were dissatisfied with the game. These innovative offerings, along with our targeted marketing efforts, significantly increased attendance.

We also introduced innovations in how the time between innings was utilized. While most attendees typically get up to go buy food or beverages or use the restroom, we decided to challenge that norm. Instead, we aimed to provide entertainment during these intervals to make them livelier and more engaging for the audience.

We also brainstormed ways to bring content to our fans beyond the games and the stadium. One notable project was the creation of a documentary video that highlighted key moments from the season. This allowed fans to relive exciting moments even after the season had ended, helping to keep them engaged and building anticipation for the upcoming season.

The team also did not have a solid marketing strategy. Leveraging DeNA’s strong marketing capabilities, we identified our target segments and tailored everything— from seating to concessions— to their preferences. Through marketing analysis, we identified the primary target segment as business professionals in their thirties who would attend games with colleagues or partners. We aligned our marketing strategy to effectively go after this target segment. The entire staff took part in distributing flyers, with Yota Kimura, the current president of the BayStars who incidentally majored in rocket science at the University of Tokyo, personally handing them out at train stations during commuting hours. We placed advertisements in business magazines and online. Additionally, we aimed to make the stadium a popular dating spot for young professionals. One of my initial directives was to improve the women’s restrooms, as I recognized that cleanliness is crucial for attracting female fans. Ensuring comfortable facilities for women was a key aspect of our strategy.

Of course, all of these initiatives contributed to improving our performance, but the best possible delight we can provide to our fans is victory on the field. Throughout this time, we steadily invested to strengthen the team. All these efforts were part of our push to do everything we could to improve the team’s business performance. Before we bought the BayStars, they were losing more than $20 million every year. We reduced these losses to $2– 3 million per year. However, we still couldn’t make a profit because we had to share the revenue with the Yokohama Stadium Company. The stadium is very important to us since it hosts our games and other events. We often had to ask them to change the setup for these events. Also, we were always negotiating how much of the revenue we had to share, which was not a good situation. Since the stadium is so important to our business, we waited for the chance to buy the stadium company.

There was one individual in the stadium company who fully understood our vision. He recognized that it would benefit the fans, businesses, and local municipal government if we controlled the stadium. With our aggressive approach, we could transform it into a versatile business venue, hosting not only baseball games but also concerts and other events. Thus, in 2016, we successfully acquired the stadium company  through a friendly takeover. With ownership, we took control of the concessions. As a foodie, I prioritized enhancing the quality of the ballpark food. We have our own tenants for food services, and we also introduced our own brand, including our own beer. While we outsource the food preparation, it is done according to our specifications to ensure high quality. We have two types of tenants: those who use our space and those who operate independently. This dual approach allows us to maintain excellent food standards. After gaining control of the stadium, we turned a profit immediately in that same year.

As the owner, my focus is on the big picture and the future goal for the team. My primary responsibilities include setting the overall budget frame-work and making key personnel decisions, such as appointing the manager and GM. Beyond that, the team’s management operates independently. I consciously refrain from intervening or even asking questions about player decisions, as I once inadvertently influenced the manager’s choices by merely asking about a player’s usage. To avoid such issues, I leave baseball operations entirely to the professionals. However, as a fan, it can be challenging! In private, I often express my thoughts to my family and friends, but I never interfere with the manager’s or GM’s decisions.

On the business side, I actively suggest improvements, such as enhancing the food in the suites or the types of merchandise we should offer. These are merely fan suggestions, and it’s up to the team whether to implement them. In managing my company, my philosophy is to delegate responsibilities and encourage independent thinking rather than issuing direct orders. While there are times when decisions must be made and directives given, it’s crucial for team members to understand the reasoning behind them. This approach ensures that if they need to make decisions independently, they do so with a deep understanding of the rationale. At DeNA, we maintain a flat organizational structure, fostering open discussions without hierarchical barriers. This management style contrasts with the more directive, hierarchical approach typical of sports teams. Our team embraces a more liberal approach, involving coaches and players in discussions. That being said, we haven’t yet proven this method effective, seeing as we haven’t won a championship, so we remain open to adapting our strategies.

I was surprised at how challenging it is to win a championship. There are only six teams in the Central League, yet we haven’t won since 1998. I’ve heard about the celebrations in Yokohama when the team won in 1998— I heard that the entire city was in festive chaos, with shops giving away products for free and four hundred thousand people attending the parade. Some people got on top of cars. I dream of witnessing such excitement, with my team at the center. Unlike movies, where the excitement comes from someone else’s creation, sports offer a unique thrill because the players are competing for themselves. The DeNA BayStars hold a special place in the hearts of the people of Yokohama. No matter where I am, I’ll be heading to Yokohama when we win.

One of the reasons for owning a baseball team is to contribute to society. To achieve this, the team must be profitable. Our success directly benefits the surrounding community. The team is an icon for the people of Yokohama, and when the BayStars perform well, it brings happiness and smiles to everyone. Although Yokohama is adjacent to Tokyo, it is not merely an extension of the metropolis; Yokohama stands proudly as its own city with a strong sense of civic pride.

Beyond baseball, the stadium also plays a vital role in supporting the community. With only seventy home games a year, there are over 290 days without professional baseball. As owners, we are responsible for making the stadium a lively place during these off days by hosting concerts and other events. Additionally, we support local businesses by attracting visitors to the stadium, who then explore nearby areas like Yokohama Chinatown and other local attractions. Increasing foot traffic at the stadium helps boost the local economy. In many ways, owning the team allows us to contribute significantly to society.

We also look beyond the stadium. Right in between Yokohama Stadium and nearby Kannai Station is the old city hall district of the City of Yokohama, which we are in the process of redeveloping. This site is an excellent location for driving activity and engagement in the community. Having the opportunity to develop such a prime site in the heart of Yokohama, next to our stadium, and engage with fans is rare, rivaling the significance of the opening of the port of Yokohama to the West back in the 1800s. We are planning a number of new initiatives to attract people to the area on both game and nongame days by leveraging DeNA and BayStars content. Through these efforts, we aim to give back to the community. This is the key role that DeNA strives to fill.

In the broader region, I applaud MLB’s efforts to expand into the Asian market. It is a welcome development because baseball, despite being a great sport, is relatively local, primarily played in a few Asian countries like Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. MLB’s substantial financial power entering the Asian market can bring attention to baseball in other Asian countries, allowing more people to experience it and get excited about the sport. Expanding the market benefits everyone in the industry. In the future, we aim to play baseball games internationally and to attract world baseball fans. Hosting international games, such as MLB or WBC events, in Japan can bring many fans from Asian countries, which will help to extend the market for baseball.

I hope there will be a true World Series someday. The level of baseball in Japan is quite high, and international teams would enjoy playing here. However, the significant financial gap between Japanese baseball and leagues like MLB is a fundamental issue that needs to be addressed. Due to this disparity, we often lose our best players to the United States. While it is each individual player’s decision to pursue his dreams on the biggest stage,

I don’t think it should have to be this way. Japan has the potential to be an attractive and competitive destination for top talent. I deeply love Japanese baseball and envision a future where American star players might come to Japan for higher compensation and a more enjoyable experience. Baseball was introduced from the United States, so catching up is challenging; still, that remains the dream.

Get the inside scoop on Japanese baseball from n the Japanese Ballpark: behind the Scenes of Nippon Professional Baseball (University of Nebraska Press) by Robert Fitts.