Japan's sandlot players snap up $350 bats for edge at the plate

Mizuno's top-end fiber composite stick doubles in price in two decades

20230310N expensive bat

The price of the Beyond Max Legacy bat used in adult sandlot games has topped 50,000 yen ($371). (Photo by Hayate Koike)

HAYATE KOIKE, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- A type of bat used in sandlot baseball in Japan has doubled in price over the past two decades due to demand from a seemingly unlikely demographic -- older adults.

Noritoshi Takehana, a Tokyo resident in his 30s who plays baseball recreationally favors Mizuno's Beyond Max Legacy bat. At the end of February, the price topped 50,000 yen ($371), including tax. Despite the expense, the Legacy remains a highly popular model.

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