Japan once lauded seasoned Kabuki actors, kimono-clad traditional dancers and aging masters of obscure ancient instruments like the 13-stringed koto as "living national treasures."
Star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who won 17 games for the Seibu Lions in 2006 after earning the World
Baseball Classic's MVP award, now begins negotiations with the Boston Red Sox on a big-league contract.
AP PHOTO But today the country's baseball players enjoy such rarified status.