Eiji Sawamura threw the first two no-hitters in Nippon Professional Baseball history. In baseball, throwing a no-hitter is a pitching accomplishment in which one or more pitchers does not yield a hit in the course of one game. A no-hitter is rare in NPB, occurring 66 times since Fumio Fujimura's first cycle during the single league era in 1948.[clarification needed ] In terms of frequency, the cycle is roughly as common as a no-hitter (101 occurrences in NPB history based on the more recognised international definition, which is not to be confused with the NPB definition, counting combined no-hitters and those where runs were scored by the losing team, which may occur with players advancing on base without hits).
Unlike in Major League Baseball (MLB), combined no-hitters are not considered as official no-hitters by Nippon Professional Baseball.
Nippon Professional Baseball no-hitters Michio Nishizawa was the first player to throw a no-hitter for the Nagoya Baseball Club. In 2012, Toshiya Sugiuchi became only the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter in an interleague game. Yūdai Ōno is the most recent player to throw a no-hitter in Nippon Professional Baseball, doing so in 2019. No-hitters with complete game shutout win Nippon Professional Baseball players who have thrown no-hitters, the date of its occurrence, team, league, and opponent Player Date Team League Opponent Ref Eiji Sawamura † (1) September 25, 1936 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Osaka Tigers [1] Eiji Sawamura † (2) May 1, 1937 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Osaka Tigers [1] Victor Starffin † July 3, 1937 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Korakuen Eagles [1] Mitsuhiko Ishida (1) July 16, 1937 Hankyu Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Tokyo Senators [1] Hiroshi Nakao † (1) November 3, 1939 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Tokyo Senators [1] Tadashi Kameda (1) March 18, 1940 Eagles Japanese Baseball League Lion Baseball Club [1] Katsusaburo Asano April 14, 1940 Hankyu Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Osaka Tigers [1] Eiji Sawamura † (3) July 6, 1940 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Nagoya Baseball Club [1] Hachiro Miwa August 3, 1940 Osaka Tigers Japanese Baseball League Tokyo Kyojin [1] Mitsuhiko Ishida (2) August 22, 1940 Hankyu Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Lion Baseball Club [1] Tadashi Kameda (2) April 14, 1941 Kurowashi Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Hanshin Baseball Club [1] Hiroshi Nakao † (2) July 16, 1941 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Nagoya Baseball Club [1] Kotaro Mori October 27, 1941 Hankyu Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Nagoya Baseball Club [1] Michio Nishizawa † July 18, 1942 Nagoya Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Hankyu Baseball Club [1] Yoshio Tenpo May 2, 1943 Hankyu Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Nankai Baseball Club [1] Hideo Fujimoto † (1) May 22, 1943 Tokyo Kyojin Japanese Baseball League Nagoya Baseball Club [1] Takehiko Bessho † May 26, 1943 Nankai Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Yamato Baseball Club [1] Shinichi Ishimaru October 12, 1943 Nagoya Baseball Club Japanese Baseball League Yamato Baseball Club [1] Shosei Go † June 16, 1946 Osaka Tigers Japanese Baseball League Senators [1] Tadayoshi Kajioka August 24, 1948 Osaka Tigers Japanese Baseball League Nankai Hawks [1] Juzo Sanada † (1) September 6, 1948 Taiyo Robins Japanese Baseball League Osaka Tigers [1] Hideo Fujimoto † * (2) June 28, 1950 Yomiuri Giants Central League Nishi Nippon Pirates [1] Masaichi Kaneda † (1) September 5, 1951 Kokutetsu Swallows Central League Osaka Tigers [1] Giichi Hayashi April 27, 1952 Daiei Stars Pacific League Hankyu Braves [1] Juzo Sanada † (2) May 7, 1952 Osaka Tigers Central League Hiroshima Carp [1] Takumi Otomo July 26, 1952 Yomiuri Giants Central League Shochiku Robins [1] Noboru Yamashita August 7, 1954 Kintetsu Pearls Pacific League Takahashi Unions [1] Shigeru Sugishita † May 10, 1955 Chunichi Dragons Central League Kokutetsu Swallows [1] Mamoru Otsu June 4, 1955 Nishitetsu Lions Pacific League Kintetsu Pearls [1] Fumio Takechi * June 19, 1955 Kintetsu Pearls Pacific League Daiei Stars [1] Teruo Owaki May 3, 1956 Kokutetsu Swallows Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Yoshitomo Miyaji * September 19, 1956 Kokutetsu Swallows Central League Hiroshima Carp [1] Masaichi Kaneda † * (2) August 21, 1957 Kokutetsu Swallows Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Hiroomi Oyane October 12, 1957 Chunichi Dragons Central League Osaka Tigers [1] Nishimura Sadaaki * July 19, 1958 Nishitetsu Lions Pacific League Toei Flyers [1] Gentaro Shimada * August 11, 1960 Taiyo Whales Central League Osaka Tigers [1] Yoshimi Moritaki * June 20, 1961 Kokutetsu Swallows Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Yoshio Inoue May 16, 1964 Nishitetsu Lions Pacific League Hankyu Braves [1] Toshitake Nakayama August 18, 1964 Chunichi Dragons Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Gene Bacque June 28, 1965 Hanshin Tigers Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Yoshiro Sotokoba † (1) October 2, 1965 Hiroshima Carp Central League Hanshin Tigers [1] Kichiro Sasaki * May 1, 1966 Taiyo Whales Central League Hiroshima Carp [1] Tsutomu Tanaka * May 12, 1966 Nishitetsu Lions Pacific League Nankai Hawks [1] Toshihiko Sei June 12, 1966 Nishitetsu Lions Pacific League Kintetsu Buffaloes [1] Tadao Wako September 17, 1967 Nishitetsu Lions Pacific League Hankyu Braves [1] Tsuneo Horiuchi † October 10, 1967 Yomiuri Giants Central League Hiroshima Carp [1] Kunio Jonouchi May 16, 1968 Yomiuri Giants Central League Taiyo Whales [1] Keishi Suzuki † (1) August 8, 1968 Kintetsu Buffaloes Pacific League Toei Flyers [1] Yoshiro Sotokoba † (2) September 14, 1968 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Central League Taiyo Whales [1] Fumio Narita August 16, 1969 Lotte Orions Pacific League Hankyu Braves [1] Hidetake Watanabe May 18, 1970 Yomiuri Giants Central League Hiroshima Toyo Carp [1] Hiroshi Kito June 9, 1970 Taiyo Whales Central League Yakult Atoms [1] Koichiro Sasaki * October 6, 1970 Kintetsu Buffaloes Pacific League Nankai Hawks [1] Kazuhiro Fujimoto August 19, 1971 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Yoshimasa Takahashi * August 21, 1971 Toei Flyers Pacific League Nishitetsu Lions [1] Keishi Suzuki † (2) September 9, 1971 Kintetsu Buffaloes Pacific League Nishitetsu Lions [1] Yoshiro Sotokoba † (3) April 29, 1972 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Naoki Takahashi June 16, 1973 Nittaku Home Flyers Pacific League Kintetsu Buffaloes [1] Yutaka Enatsu August 30, 1973 Hanshin Tigers Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Soroku Yagisawa * October 10, 1973 Lotte Orions Pacific League Taiheiyo Club Lions [1] Toshio Kanbe April 20, 1975 Kintetsu Buffaloes Pacific League Nankai Hawks [1] Hajime Kato April 18, 1976 Yomiuri Giants Central League Hiroshima Toyo Carp [1] Yoshinori Toda May 11, 1976 Hankyu Braves Pacific League Nankai Hawks [1] Yutaro Imai * August 31, 1978 Hankyu Braves Pacific League Lotte Orions [1] Kuo Tai-yuan June 4, 1985 Seibu Lions Pacific League Nippon-Ham Fighters [1] Yukio Tanaka June 9, 1985 Nippon-Ham Fighters Pacific League Kintetsu Buffaloes [1] Shinichi Kondoh August 9, 1987 Chunichi Dragons Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Toshiro Yufune June 14, 1992 Hanshin Tigers Central League Hiroshima Toyo Carp [1] Hiromi Makihara * May 18, 1994 Yomiuri Giants Central League Hiroshima Toyo Carp [1] Yukihiro Nishizaki July 5, 1995 Nippon-Ham Fighters Pacific League Seibu Lions [1] Yoshinori Sato August 26, 1995 Orix BlueWave Pacific League Kintetsu Buffaloes [1] Terry Bross September 9, 1995 Yakult Swallows Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Hisanobu Watanabe June 11, 1996 Seibu Lions Pacific League Orix BlueWave [1] Shigeki Noguchi August 11, 1996 Chunichi Dragons Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Kazuhisa Ishii September 2, 1997 Yakult Swallows Central League Yokohama BayStars [1] Tetsuro Kawajiri May 26, 1998 Hanshin Tigers Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Shinji Sasaoka May 8, 1999 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Melvin Bunch April 7, 2000 Chunichi Dragons Central League Yokohama BayStars [1] Narciso Elvira June 20, 2000 Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes Pacific League Seibu Lions [1] Kenshin Kawakami August 1, 2002 Chunichi Dragons Central League Yomiuri Giants [1] Kei Igawa October 4, 2004 Hanshin Tigers Central League Hiroshima Toyo Carp [1] Rick Guttormson May 25, 2006 Tokyo Yakult Swallows Interleague Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles [1] Masahiro Yamamoto September 16, 2006 Chunichi Dragons Central League Hanshin Tigers [1] Kenta Maeda April 6, 2012 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Central League Yokohama DeNA BayStars [1] Toshiya Sugiuchi May 30, 2012 Yomiuri Giants Interleague Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles [1] Yuki Nishi October 8, 2012 Orix Buffaloes Pacific League Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks [1] Daisuke Yamai June 28, 2013 Chunichi Dragons Central League Yokohama DeNA BayStars [1] Takayuki Kishi May 2, 2014 Saitama Seibu Lions Pacific League Chiba Lotte Marines [1] Shun Yamaguchi July 27, 2018 Yomiuri Giants Central League Chunichi Dragons [1] Kodai Senga September 6, 2019 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Pacific League Chiba Lotte Marines [1] Yūdai Ōno September 16, 2019 Chunichi Dragons Central League Hanshin Tigers [1] Yasuhiro Ogawa August 15, 2020 Yakult Swallows Central League Yokohama DeNA BayStars [1] Rōki Sasaki * April 10, 2022 Chiba Lotte Marines Pacific League Orix Buffaloes [1] Nao Higashihama May 11, 2022 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Pacific League Saitama Seibu Lions [1] Shota Imanaga June 7, 2022 Yokohama DeNA Baystars Interleague Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters [1] Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1) June 18, 2022 Orix Buffaloes Pacific League Saitama Seibu Lions [1] Cody Ponce August 27, 2022 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Pacific League Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks [1] Shuta Ishikawa August 18, 2023 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Pacific League Saitama Seibu Lions [1] Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2) September 9, 2023 Orix Buffaloes Pacific League Chiba Lotte Marines [1] Shosei Togo May 24, 2024 Yomiuri Giants Central League Hanshin Tigers [1] Daichi Ohsera June 7, 2024 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Interleague Chiba Lotte Marines [1]
Combined no-hitters No-hitters when the opposing team scores See also Baseball portal References General Inline citations ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw "無安打無得点試合 (No hitter records)". Nippon Professional Baseball . Retrieved 8 July 2016 . ^ a b 日本での継投によるノーヒットノーランは3度 [A no-hitter has occurred three times after relieving the starting pitcher in Japan]. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Sports Nippon Corporation. June 10, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2014 . ^ 【4月15日】2006年(平18) 残念…八木智哉 それでも史上初の延長無安打無得点リレー [(April 15, 2006) Bad luck, Tomoya Yagi, but it's still the first extra innings scoreless combined no-hitter in history]. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Sports Nippon Corporation. April 15, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2014 . ^ Coskrey, Jason (November 2, 2007). "Dragons clinch Japan Series". The Japan Times . Retrieved July 2, 2014 .