Yakult Swallows

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows (Japanese: 東京ヤクルトスワローズ) are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yomiuri Giants. They have won 9 Central League championships and 6 Japan Series championships. Since 1964, they play their games at Meiji Jingu Stadium.

The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, Yakult Honsha. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways (known as Kokutetsu (国鉄) in Japanese) and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei Shimbun from 1965 to 1968 and called the Sankei Atoms. Yakult purchased the team in 1970 and renamed it the Yakult Atoms, before renaming it again as the Yakult Swallows in 1974, and then the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2006.

The Yakult Swallows are a professional baseball team based in Tokyo, Japan. They are members of the Central League and have a long and storied history in Japanese baseball. The team was founded in 1950 and has since won five Central League championships and two Japan Series championships.

The Swallows are known for their distinctive blue and white uniforms and their passionate fan base, who are known for their enthusiastic cheering and singing throughout games. The team plays their home games at Meiji Jingu Stadium, which has a capacity of over 36,000 spectators.

The Swallows have produced many talented players over the years, including Hall of Famers Shigeru Sugishita and Atsuya Furuta. They are currently led by manager Shingo Takatsu and have a roster of talented players, including outfielder Norichika Aoki and pitcher Yasuhiro Ogawa.

Overall, the Yakult Swallows are a respected and successful team in Japanese baseball, with a rich history and a loyal fan base.