On the eve of a day sure to bring back a lot of painful memories, the members of Samurai Japan made it their mission to offer a little bit of relief, if only temporarily.
Tohoku native Kenta Kurihara came through with the biggest hit of the night, a two-run homer in the third inning, and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ace Masahiro Tanaka got the win, as Japan routed Taiwan 9-2 in a charity game in front of a crowd of 35,505 on Saturday at Tokyo Dome.
"I was able to swing the bat the way I wanted," said Kurihara, who hails from Yamagata Prefecture and is the star slugger for the Hiroshima Carp. "For me, who is from Tohoku, this game means more. I am happy I was able to have a good result."