Asahikasei Homes Wins the 12th Overall Victory After 2 Years
Mr. Kishita Gets Game-Winning Hit
The Pitcher, Konno Pitches a No-Hitter but Leaves the Mound on the Last Batter
【May 14th】
The 25th RBA Baseball Tournament overall final match took place at Tokyo Dome on May 14th between Ken Corporation and Asahikasai Homes, where the latter won by 2-0, defeating Ken Corporation in winning its 12th overall victory after 2 years. Kishita with 1 out, bases loaded in the 5th, got 2 run batted in, getting a game-winning hit. Asahikasei pitcher, Konno pitches a no-hitter until 2 outs of the 7th, however with one last batter left, leaves the mound. This command was surprising as there are many matches where games are turned around after 2 outs in the final inning. For the manager, Yamamoto to send a pitcher who never pitched, at the very end of the game was just unbelievable. It is certainly a decision that is possible to make with a strong trust between the manager and the team. Pitcher Shinonaga, however, had a fine strikeout.
Ken Corporation pitcher Ogasawara managed to hold down powerful hitters of Asahikasei, however regrettably allows runs on consecutive walks in the 5th inning.
There had been 5 overall final matches between these 2 teams in the past, of which Asahikasei Homes had won all. The 6th match victory also went to Asahikasei, making manager Yamamoto an overall victory manager in his first year of assuming the manager position.
Asahikasei nine tosses manager Yamamoto into the air
Glorious moment of victory (Pitcher Konno in the middle)
Asahikasei Homes winning its 13th block victory after 2 years
The Pitcher Konno, shows great energy-saving pitching, with 2 hits shutout
【April 23rd】
A re-match of the 25th RBA Baseball Tournament Wednesday Block Final took place on the 23rd April between Asahikasei Homes and Open House at Jingu Gaien baseball ground. Asahikasei Homes won by 2-0, winning its 13th block victory after 2 years. The pitcher, Konno had near-perfect pitching with great curve balls. The new manager, Yamamoto managed to lead the team to victory in his first year of assuming the position.
Asahikasei nine tosses their manager, Yamamoto into the air
Open House Pitcher, Kawasaki Asahikasei Homes Pitcher, Konno
A group picture with Mr. Hirai in the middle
Open House cheering parties
Tokyo Hilton Hotel
【Apr 17th】
The 2nd RBA Ladies’ Evening was held on April 17th at Tokyo Hilton where approximately 170 people came and enjoyed plenty of light food and sweets. Continuing the tradition from the 1st Ladies’ Evening of rock-scissors-and-paper game, some prizes were prepared for the winners, and flowers for April birthday ladies.
The CEO Mr. Kume greeted, saying, “We cannot build happiness on top of others’ misfortunes. The reason why we hold Ladies’ Evenings is because we want ladies to be smiley and support sales to work with vigor. In organizing RBA Ladies’ Evenings, we hope to bring energy to salesmen and bring bright future to Japan”. He continued passionately, “the reason why we are able to exist is because we have a father and a mother. We should not forget the favor we owe to them. It can be a single call, or a smile from you; we need your parents to be happy first. So please, execute these”.
Roast beef was the most popular dish of the evening! Such a long queue there was!
After being full, we enjoyed the rock-scissors-and-paper game!
Ken Corporation winning the 11th Block Victory 3 years in a row
The ace, Mr. Ogasawara in a cold sweat, losing 4 points at the last inning, but completes the game
【April 13th】
Due to some difficulties in scheduling, the final match for the 25th RBA Baseball Sunday Block was finally held on April 13th at Tokyo Dome between Ken Corporation and Shimizu Corporation, where Ken Corporation won by 5-4, achieveing its 11th victory 3 years in a row. The batting linesup worked out very effectively and despite Mr. Ogasawara, the ace lost 4 points in the last inning, the team managed to pull through a crisis. Shimizu Corporation had 5 long hits and caught up to only 1 point behind but could not overdo them. They could not achieve their 5th victory with 4 years absence.
High fives, after earning more points!
Shimizu pitcher, Mr. Tamura (left) and Mr. Ogasawara, the Ken Corp's pitcher
A cheering party of Ken Corporation from Shibuya Branch
A cheering party of Shimizu Corporation
Daegu, Korea
【February 12th-13th】
4 of RBA International representatives visited the third largest city of Korea, Daegu, to have a signing ceremony of cooperation agreement with Daegu University.
Daegu University was founded in 1956 as an educational institution that specializes in social welfare sector, to cultivate creative human beings who aspire to actualize public welfare and contribute to social progress. Today, Daegu University has an enrollment of over 20,000 students, proudly having the biggest campus in Korea with the most up-to-date facilities. They accept 700 exchange students from 17 countries and actively organize many international exchange programs.
The signing ceremony had the attendance of Duk-Jin Kim, the Acting President; Ju-Hee Lee, the Dean of the College of Economics & Business Administration; Chae-Wook Lee, the Dean of International Affairs; Chun-Ho Yang, the Manager at the Office of International Affairs, and Ji-Sun Lee from the Office of International Affairs and both parties were able to deepen the friendship and mutually confirm to cooperate in carrying out future international exchange programs together. Furthermore, Daegu University’s history and its educational spirit were being informed, and had a tour around the campus.
In front of the Main Administrative Building of the University
The siging of the cooperation agreement
Secretary General of RBA International with the Acting President, Duk-Jin Kim
Tokyo Hilton Hotel
【Jan 23rd】
To actualize Daisan Kikaku’s establishment purpose of “prospering and developing the real estate, construction and housing industries”, RBA Ladies’ Evenings were decided to be held this year to strengthen the transverse ties of lady employees of the industry. The 1st RBA Ladies’ Evening was held in Tokyo on January 23rd at Tokyo Hilton where approximately 140 ladies attended enjoying strawberry desserts and cakes.
Saitama Prefectural Koshigaya Comprehensive Technical High School & Daisan Kikaku, Inc.
Preliminary and Follow-Up Lessons Being Conducted for Internship Program
【January 21st, February 3rd-7th, March 14th】
Saitama PKCT High School and Daisan Kikaku・RBA International conducted preliminary and follow-up lessons in February at the school to 270 students in the 2nd year where Chairman Nobuhiro Kume gave a 90 minute lecture at the school. These special lessons took place with the school’s agreement that it is inadequate for the students to just ordinarily experience for a short time the simulation as a working person, only by visiting host companies, and this year was the 8th year these took place in a row.
Chairman Kume in the preliminary lesson which took place on January 21st spoke as follows:
“It is unknown if your way of thinking or the yardstick will be accepted in the society. Think of the soil. Rich soil with lots of nutrients will have many grass and flowers grow. However, with concrete pavement, neither flowering plants nor trees could grow. I wish you all to grow in the rich soil.”
“Doctors can kill viruses which cause diseases to people but they cannot cure sick people as a person. People have the natural ability to fight the disease and that is why you
can be cured. Please believe in this ability you have.”
“You should read the biography of historians you like. It does not have to be a difficult book. It can be the level for primary or the junior high school children. It could be anyone like Confucius, Eichi Shibusawa, or Hideyo Noguchi; I often read about them. What these people have in common is that none of them were selfish and always just thought about “themselves”. They all thought shining others precisely makes yourself shine and they have shown that with their way of life.”
“If you try to walk in the water, the water will just disperse. On the other hand, if you walk backwards, the water will flow in to you. People are the same. Please think about this carefully.”
In the follow-up lecture Chairman Kume spoke about “Quality of Heart”:
“The quality of your body points to physical abilities you were born with, while the quality of heart is an acquired quality of habits and natural reactions of heart you gain though various learning.”
“People say "acting upon your reason", but I want to say nothing is more unreliable than your reasons. Reasons hide your quality of heart. An easy example of this would be if I were to say “How are you?” to all of you, how many people can answer “I’m good!” out loud? Not many, in such a big silent crowd of people. Because to do such a thing is embarrassing, is what your reason would say.
Is such reason right? Your reasons affect common sense and knowledge, and it changes with time. Is society’s common sense really right? I think we need to have more relaxed mind to think about that with our reasons.
More than the reason, I wish to believe in the unconscious decision making you make that is in accordance with the quality of your heart. Polishing your heart is the way to live beautifully. Please do not be overconfident with your reason.”
Daisan Kikaku accepted 3 students from February 3rd-7th for an internship. They learnt about the basics of real estate advertisements and process of flier making, observed the printing factory, and helped with filing and sorting out documents of RBA International.
A lecturing scene
Filing RBA International documents
Presenting their feedbacks at the follow-up lesson
Message from Chairman
I started RBA International activities 25 years ago. So that real estate, construction and housing industries in Japan could develop together and deepen friendship among them, at the very beginning I proposed and at the same time advocated a baseball tournament where rubber-ball baseball teams could join from across differing industries. Luckily, I had supports from people who were the leaders of these industries each running big corporations; I was able to establish Real Estate Baseball Association. We have since then been able to continue the tournament every year for as long as 25 years.
Baseball tournament is just one method for people to communicate with each other and to deepen friendship. Not only does RBA International hold domestic baseball tournaments but has also organized various international activities in such fields as culture, academic area, sports, etc, and fortunately as a consequence, RBA has so far been given many cordial advice and support from the state organs mostly in Asia and their corresponding embassies in Japan.
Looking back at the past 25 years, could we not say that we have never encountered a time with such poor status of human relationships as it stands now, with a feeling of impasse? This does not just apply to personal relationships but also to social, national, and international relationships, where it becomes increasingly harder to restore misunderstandings, disagreements and differences in values.
I am neither a politician nor a political commentator. However, I am a nation of Japan – a country that cannot stand on its own. I am also a human – who cannot live alone – who play a small part on this earth as one of Chikyujin (people of the Earth, motherland). And this is why – with my small existence – I feel it is my important responsibility that I do speak out loud and express my opinion.
RBA International raises a hand with an objection to the current situation where the world is competing with armaments and economy; where the principle of competition is seen as a fundamental management style of the earth. Instead, we raise our voice to say “Now is the time to start the competition of contribution to mankind”.
RBA International has done everything within our power this year in enhancing the exchanges of Asia. Setting up a theme of “Friendship of Asia” over the next 3 years to come, we are to devote ourselves in promoting academic, cultural and sports exchanges withAsian youth in the centre. We ask for your sincere understanding and cooperation for the next year, too.
January 2014
Specified Nonprofit Corporation RBA International
Nobuhiro Kume, Chairman
Tokyo Hilton Hotel
【November 22nd】
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of RBA Baseball Tournament, “Real Estate, Construction, and Housing Industry Get-Together Party” was organized on November 22nd. Over 480 people concerned attended the event to deepen friendship across teams, companies and industries. Guests included people from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies of China, Mongolia, Thai, Serbia and Benin, who support RBA Baseball tournament and donate ambassador’s cups, and those who are involved with international RBA cultural and academic exchange activities. Nearly 500 people gathered together to celebrate quarter-century-long RBA activities and to pledge for its further development.
Director-General of Land Economy and Construction and Engineering Industry Bureau, Mr. Motoi Sasaki giving a congratulatory speech
Guests from China, Thai and Benin
Guests from Mongolia
Tokyo Hilton party hall
Beijing, China
【October 20th】
To celebrate the big three anniversaries: “35th Anniversary of the Conclusion of Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty”, “25th Anniversary of RBA Baseball Tournament” and “10th Anniversary of RBA Chinese Ambassador’s Cup”, 9 selected baseball players from 4 companies who are the participants of RBA Japan Real Estate Baseball Association visited China as part of Japan-China sports exchange activity. They held baseball classes at the Primary School Attached to Peking University and the Primary School Attached to Tsinghua University, whom RBA has had past exchange relationships with. A baseball match was also organized between the 2 schools.
Baseball class at the Primary School Attached to Peking University
Giving souvenirs to the President Li Xiaolin
A get-together party with everyone!
- A Summary Slideshow of the Trip to China -
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan
【June 7th】
A get-together party was held at the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Tokyo on June 7th to celebrate the opening of the 25th RBA Baseball Tournament. This year is a turning point for RBA, with its 25th establishment anniversary. It is a year to also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Chinese Ambassador’s Cup, which is given to the winner of the overall final match, and the 35th anniversary of the conclusion of the Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty. For these reasons, it was celebrated splendidly with baseball team representatives, RBA advisors, various embassies who give ambassador’s cups, and government officers.
Tournament Chairman Kume declaring the start for the next 25 years
Guests from overseas
The Benin Ambassador's Cup starts from the 25th Tournament!
Players!
TokyoDome Stadium
【May 16th】
The overall final match of the 24th RBA Baseball Tournament took place at Tokyo Dome Stadium on May 16th. Sunday block supreme ruler, Ken Corporation achieved their 2nd overall victory after 10 years of absence. Ken Corporation attacked shrewdly on their 2nd and 6th innings, gaining 3 points, while sealing them with 0 point with three strikes every time.
Ken Corporation team tosses the manager into the air
Victory flag giving
An overall winner, Ken Corporation team
Miyagi prefecture Natori city Yuriage Junior High School
【March 18th】
Mr. Chang Jia Huang, a Chinese leading Dun Huang grotto painting artist, who is also an art advisor of RBA International, donated a 1.6 sq. meters large oil painting to Natori city, Miyagi Prefecture. Mr. Chang has long wished to encourage the victims of Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. In succession to donating a painting titled “A Pine Tree of Hope” to Rikuzentakata city, where tsunami damage was very severe, he has made a present of the oil painting titled “A Cherry Blossom of Prayer”, which depicts cherry blossoms in Yuriage district, Natori city, having RBA International as a mediator.
An unveiling ceremony
Mr. Chang Jia Huang
