"Peanuts, Get Your Peanuts Here!” It’s hard to think of our national pastime without the essential ballpark staple, peanuts. Here, we’re looking back at 2022, which marked the 150th anniversary of baseball’s introduction to Japan from the U.S. To celebrate, the American Peanut Council collaborated with the Softbank Hawks, the Pacific League’s most popular team, and the Nippon Ham Fighters, known for its celebrity manager, and former MLB player, Shinjo. ‘American Peanuts Day’ was celebrated during both games with fans receiving tasty American peanuts and a ceremonial first pitch by the U.S. Embassy’s Minister Counselor of Agriculture Affairs, Morgan Perkins.

American peanut signs and stars & stripes decorations were displayed throughout the stadiums for both games. Snacks made using AmeriCorps peanuts were sampled to 9,000 out of 33,000 Hawks’ fans and 12,000 out of 14,500 Ham Fighters’ fans. Fifteen of the peanut confectionery manufacturers that contributed samples attended the Fighters' game. This was a result of strong relationships established and nurtured through consistent trade servicing.  

The American Peanut Council invested JPY12.5 million (approximately US$96,000). The events generated a media coverage value of over JPY43,500,000 (approximately US$330,000), thus continuing the rich history of American peanuts and baseball.