Showing a world outside of ballparks

Masami Hasegawa isn't a tour guide or a travel agent.

But late last month, the Kent youth-baseball coach found himself leading 19 high-school age baseball players and their parents on a 10-day visit to Japan.

The group of 42 visited three cities, and the athletes played 12 games against Japanese teams on a tour that was completely organized by Hasegawa.

It's his idea of a really good time.

Over the past four years, Hasegawa, 60, has led two similar trips to Japan, taking student athletes, their parents and coaches. He organizes every detail of the visit, from transportation down to meals and meet-and-greets with local dignitaries.

It's his way of showing off his home country to students and their families.

"There is a different world out there, and the difference between Japan and Washington is huge," Hasegawa said.

Hasegawa, who was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Washington on a full scholarship to earn his bachelor's and master's degrees.

His experience in Washington state the past 35 years has been so positive, and he wants to give back to the community that has been so inviting.

"I'm one of the happiest guys you'll find in America," said Hasegawa, who owns Kent-based Hasegawa International, a worldwide-marketing firm.

Idea takes flight

His first attempt to combine the two cultures was almost 20 years ago and involved thousands of paper cranes.

Hasegawa, as part of a massive volunteer effort, distributed 3 million pieces of origami paper to cities in the U.S. and throughout the world. Elementary-school students in those cities folded the paper into cranes and sent them back to Seattle to be used in the opening ceremony of the first Goodwill Games.

Hasegawa traveled to Kent's sister city in Japan, Kaibara, to pick up cranes for the games. (Kaibara recently combined with five other cities and was renamed Tamba.)

The trip sparked the idea to start bringing youth-baseball teams to play against their Japanese counterparts. He organized his first trip in 2004, bringing a group of 63 Little League baseball players, their family members and coaches.

A year later he was back again, this time with athletes from junior-high school and their families.

Players are recommended for Hasegawa's Japan Invitational by their coaches and have to prove that they're excellent students. On the most recent trip, several players were from Hasegawa's elite youth-baseball team, the Northwest Warriors.

In 2005, players spent $650 each for the trip, including the flight, lodging and other activities. Fundraising and sponsorships through Hasegawa's company make up the difference. Family members pay the full price, about $1,850 each.

The cost for 2007 hasn't been calculated, but the 10-day trip in late November likely cost more because the group visited three cities.

"The biggest investment that we as adults should make is in kids," Hasegawa said. "I see this as a huge investment."

Learning about Japan

Of course, the visits aren't just about the games. The athletes and their parents visit local dignitaries and often tour the cities they visit.

In 2005, the group brought an entire Thanksgiving dinner to share with their Japanese hosts because they were missing the holiday at home.

For Hasegawa, the thrill of the experience is watching the American and Japanese kids interact. "Kids bond and joke together," he said. "I don't know how they're communicating."

Mary Morgan, of Kent, took her daughter and her husband on last month's trip to watch her son, Joey Morgan, play in Japan. She says she couldn't believe how well Hasegawa had arranged the visit for 42 people.

"He had every aspect organized from the time we stepped off the plane," Morgan said.

The recent trip was perhaps more of a challenge for some of the baseball players because they won only three out of 12 games played.

Joey Morgan walked away from the experience in awe of the dedication that Japanese teams have, practicing almost every day year-round.

As for Hasegawa, Joey Morgan said, "I don't know of any of coach who would be willing to put up such an effort on that trip as he did."

Each time Hasegawa comes back from Japan, he's tired and thinks he's organized his last trip. But then he remembers what an experience it is for his athletes and their families and thinks again.

He's considering expanding the program to include other youth sports teams across Southeast King County.

"These trips broaden [the athletes'] perception of the world," he said. "That is the most important thing."

Kirsten Grind is a Seattle-area freelance writer: kirstengrind@gmail.com