Managerial changes happen almost every off-season but this year sees an unprecedented shuffling of bench bosses in NPB.
A total of five teams will have new managers at the helm when the 2025 season gets underway next spring.
The Chunichi Dragons started the ball rolling when manager Kazuyoshi Tatsunami announced on Wednesday, September 18 that he was stepping down after the season.
The Dragons (60-75-8) finished last in the Central League for the third straight season under the former infielder.
"In a job where the only thing that matters is winning, I have not done that," Tatsunami said, according to Kyodo News.
Tatsunami will be replaced by farm team coach Kazuki Inoue as the new top team manager in 2025. Inoue has his work cut out for him.
The last time the team won the Japan Series was way back in 2007 under legendary manager and former player Hiromitsu Ochiai.
It's hard to pinpoint what the problem is with the Dragons. Their team pitching and batting stats are not the worst in the Central League.
The team lacks a big-name star like Muntetaka Murakami with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows or Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants.
In 2018, four teams made highly coveted two-way player Akira Neo their first pick. The Dragons won the lottery and then signed Neo.
At the time it was seen as a big boost for Chunichi but Neo's career just hasn't panned out and the team seems mired in a general malaise.
Of course, it's not Neo's fault but had he blossomed into a big star, things might have been better for Tatsunami and the Dragons.
Buffaloes Hand Managerial Reins to Kishida
In the Pacific League, all three teams that didn't make the postseason are going in a new direction.
After a fifth-place finish (63-77-3), the Orix Buffaloes announced that their new manager for 2025 will be Mamoru Kishida, who was the pitching coach this year.
Kishida retired in 2019 after pitching for Orix for 14 years during which he had 433 mound appearances.
He replaces Satoshi Nakajima, who was cruising along as manager of Orix until Yoshinobu Yamamoto decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Under Nakajima, Orix advanced to the Japan Series in 2021 and won it all in 2022. The Buffaloes reached the championship final again last year but lost to the Hanshin Tigers.
Losing Yamamoto was a huge blow and it's hard to blame Nakajima for that but he is prepared to take responsibility.
"I want to personally take responsibility for a pennant-winning team falling this far," Nakajima told Kyodo News on Thursday, September 10.
Added the 55-year-old, "Of course, I desire to lead the team to a comeback but I think that's best left in the hands of someone new."
Miki Picked to Succeed Imae as Eagles Manager
Elsewhere, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles have made Hajime Miki their new manager. He replaces Toshiaki Imae, who guided the team to a fourth-place finish (67-72-4) in 2024.
Imae did help the Eagles win the interleague competition this season but things went downhill after that and the team lost eight in a row down the stretch to fall out of contention for a playoff spot.
Miki, a former infielder, led the Eagles' farm team to the Eastern League title for the first time in its 15-year history in 2019.
He was then promoted to manager of the Eagles for the 2020 season when the team had a 55-57-8 record for fourth place in the PL standings.
He returned to the farm team after the 2020 season.
The Eagles barely missed out on a playoff spot this season, losing out to the Chiba Lotte Marines. Rakuten owner Hiroshi Mikitani has shown in the past he's not afraid to make changes and he lived up to that reputation again.
Imae, a former Lotte and Rakuten infielder, was highly respected by his players and the change seems a bit premature considering he only had one season at the helm.
Lions Turn to Nishiguchi for NPB Reclamation Project
The struggling Saitama Seibu Lions, who finished last in the PL with a 49-91-3 record, announced in late September that they have offered the managerial position to former pitching ace Fumiya Nishiguchi.
Nishiguchi, 52, is currently the farm team's skipper. He would succeed interim manager Hisanobu Watanabe, who stepped in when former Lions star Kazuo Matsui stepped away for reasons that were not altogether clear.
Nishiguchi was an outstanding pitcher in his playing days, posting a 182-118 record with six saves and a 3.73 ERA in his 21-year career, all with Seibu.
In 1997, he became the Pacific League MVP and won the Sawamura Award as Japan's top starting pitcher. If he can help Seibu pitchers improve on a 3.02 ERA, that will be a big step in the right direction.
Tigers Skipper Okada Announces Departure
And finally, while it's not a firing or a resignation, it's a change nonetheless and a big one at that.
Akinobu Okada, the popular 66-year-old manager of the reigning Japan Series champion Tigers, announced that he will be stepping down at the conclusion of the season.
The Tigers are currently facing the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the CL Climax Series First Stage.
Okada returned as Hanshin manager in 2023 and led the team to its second Japan Series championship, and the first since he was one of the team's star players in 1985.
With his deadpan answers to reporter's questions, Okada was a unique character and will be truly missed.
On Sunday, October 6, Kyodo News reported that former Hanshin closer Kyuji Fujikawa has emerged as the sole candidate to replace Okada.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
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