TOKYO -- The Nippon Professional Baseball league is starting up again today much to the happiness of the millions of fans who follow Japan's national sport. It marks a partial return to normality as the nation slowly reopens after a long period of voluntary lockdown.
"We've caused a lot of problems and worry for the players, staff and, first and foremost, the fans by constantly changing the schedule," NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito said in a recent online news conference. "But we hope to provide encouragement to the public ... and also give guidance to other sports."