Photo: SD Dirk on Flickr / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Kenshin Kawakami's early career reads like a textbook. Tokushima Commercial High School, Meiji University, first-round pick by the Chunichi Dragons, Rookie of the Year straight out of the gate, and the Sawamura Award in 2004. For a stretch there he simply was the Dragons' rotation. What I keep coming back to is that he did not stop at being the best pitcher in his own country. He signed with the Atlanta Braves and went to Major League Baseball in his thirties, into a different language, a different ball, a different culture, and it did not go the way anyone hoped. Plenty of players would edit that chapter out. I think it is the most interesting one. When he talks about pitching as a commentator now, there is a weight to it that only comes from having been humbled somewhere far from home.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kenshin Kawakami
- Name (Japanese)
- 川上憲伸
- Born
- June 22, 1975 (age 51)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Rabbit
- Origin
- Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 179 cm
- Occupation
- baseball player / baseball commentator
2. Background
- University
- School of Commerce, Meiji University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Kenshin Kawakami born?
Born June 22, 1975 (age 51).
Where is Kenshin Kawakami from?
Kenshin Kawakami is from Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.
What does Kenshin Kawakami do?
Kenshin Kawakami works as baseball player, baseball commentator.
How tall is Kenshin Kawakami?
Kenshin Kawakami is 179 cm.
Baseball player — see all → · Baseball commentator — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-27
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.