Home Run Record Day

What Is Home Run Record Day?

Every September 3rd is "Home Run Record Day" (ホームラン記念日, Hōmuran Kinenbi) in Japan. On September 3, 1977, Yomiuri Giants slugger Oh Sadaharu (王貞治) hit career home run number 756 at Kōrakuen Stadium in Tokyo — surpassing the previous world record of 755 career home runs held by American baseball legend Hank Aaron. Two days later, on September 5, the Japanese government presented Oh with the first-ever People's Honor Award. Oh went on to finish his career with 868 home runs, which is still regarded as the most by any professional baseball player in the world.

Oh Sadaharu: The World Home Run King

Oh Sadaharu (王貞治, born 1940) is the greatest slugger in Japanese baseball history and, by his career home run total, the greatest home run hitter in the history of professional baseball worldwide. Born to a Chinese father and Japanese mother, Oh developed his extraordinary hitting ability through years of work with batting coach Hiroshi Arakawa, with whom he developed the distinctive "flamingo stance" (一本足打法, ippon ashi dahō) — balancing on one leg during the pitcher's delivery — that became Oh's signature and competitive advantage.

868 Career Home Runs

Oh finished his career with 868 home runs — more than any player in professional baseball history. His consistency over 22 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants (1959-1980) was extraordinary: he hit 30 or more home runs in 19 consecutive seasons (1962-1980), won the Triple Crown twice, and led the Giants to nine consecutive Japan Series championships (1965-1973). His September 3, 1977 record-breaking home run was a moment of national celebration in Japan.

Baseball and Japanese National Identity

Oh's achievement — a player of Chinese descent holding the world professional baseball home run record while playing for Japan's most popular team — was celebrated across the full complexity of Japanese society and reflects baseball's extraordinary role as a sport that transcends social distinctions to create shared national pride.

Fun Facts

• Oh vs. Aaron: Before the record was broken, Oh and Hank Aaron faced off in a Japan-U.S. home run derby in 1974 — a friendly contest between two of baseball's greatest hitters.
• World Baseball Classic management: Oh Sadaharu managed the Japanese national team that won the first World Baseball Classic in 2006 — bringing his competitive excellence to the international stage and leading Japan to a championship that validated Japanese baseball's global standing.