[Event Report] The 15th Smokey Mountain Baseball Project 2026 Concludes with Great Success!
The Smokey Mountain Baseball Project 2026, organized by NB.ACADEMY, was held in Manila, Philippines, marking its 15th anniversary. For the first time, legendary pitcher and former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks manager Kimiyasu Kudo participated, sharing a day of dreams and challenges through baseball with approximately 120 local children.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: June 4, 2026 at 10:51
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 22:56 (60h 4m after Collected)
NB.ACADEMY (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shogo Shibata) held the social contribution activity through baseball, "Smokey Mountain Baseball Project 2026 (hereinafter SMBP 2026)," in Manila, Philippines, for three days from Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31, 2026. This project marked its 15th year since its start in 2012, with the participation of Kimiyasu Kudo, a member of the Meikyukai (Golden Players Club) and former manager of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, for the first time. A total of 85 participants, including former professional baseball players, popular YouTubers, employees of sponsoring companies, and volunteers, along with approximately 120 local children, shared a day of dreams and challenges through baseball.
■Event Overview
Event Dates
May 29 (Fri) - 31 (Sun), 2026
Slum Visit
May 29 (Fri) / Smokey Mountain, Tondo, Manila
Baseball Clinic
May 30 (Sat) / Felino Marcelino Sr Baseball Stadium
Organizer
NB.ACADEMY
Co-organizers
JCI Manila, Japanese Professional Baseball Meikyukai
Title Sponsor
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA)
Japanese Participants
85 people (former professional baseball players, YouTubers, employees of sponsoring companies, volunteers, etc.)
Number of Local Child Participants
Approximately 120
■Children's Dreams and Challenges Seen Through Baseball
On May 30, approximately 120 children gathered at Felino Marcelino Sr Baseball Stadium. From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony, the children were immersed in baseball. In skill-specific training programs, guests provided advice while observing each child's movements, and Japanese participants supported them. The children absorbed the techniques with serious expressions. During lunch and social time, they exchanged smiles with new friends, and lively, energetic voices echoed throughout the field.
In the afternoon, following mini-games where children were divided into four teams, Team Philippines (mixed) faced off against Team Japan. The sight of players competing earnestly across ages and nationalities embodied the message SMBP has delivered: "Meeting friends through baseball and the challenge of seizing dreams." At the closing ceremony, baseball equipment was handed to the children, encouraging a new step toward their dreams, along with the scholarship support that SMBP has continued. The smiles and hopeful expressions spreading across the field symbolized the results this project has woven over 15 years.
■First Participation of Meikyukai Member Kimiyasu Kudo
Kimiyasu Kudo, a legend representing Japanese baseball who has also achieved results as a coach, participated in SMBP for the first time this year. At the main event on May 30, he provided instruction focusing on pitching in skill-specific development sessions, offering detailed advice on weight transfer, arm swing, and body balance tailored to each player's movements. The children listening intently to Kudo's words became one of the iconic scenes of this year's main event.
[Comment from Kimiyasu Kudo]
"What impressed me most when interacting with the children, even more than their skills, was their high reproducibility of what was taught and their strong desire to 'get better' and 'throw a fastball.' Before pursuing speed, I want them to learn how to use their bodies so they can continue playing baseball for a long time without injury. With that in mind, I taught them natural, strain-free forms tailored to each individual's movements today.
This was my first time participating in SMBP. By showing children what kind of future lies ahead if they continue playing baseball, and by adults demonstrating 'achievable goals,' I believe the number of children, teams, and ballparks for baseball in Southeast Asia will surely increase. I was strongly reminded today that we adults must create the future beyond the dreams children can envision."
■SMBP 2026 Participating Guests
In addition to Kimiyasu Kudo, the following guests participated in this year's SMBP and interacted with the children:
Kimiyasu Kudo / Meikyukai Member, Former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Manager
Takayuki Kajitani / Former Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Yomiuri Giants
Tomomi Takahashi / Former Saitama Seibu Lions, Current Lions Academy Coach
Yuki Takamori / Former Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Ichiro Matsushita / Former Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Manpei / Operator of YouTube channel "EXIT JACK"
Shogo Shibata / Former Yomiuri Giants, Representative Director of NB.ACADEMY
■Gratitude to ANA and Partner Companies
The successful holding of the milestone 15th SMBP 2026 was made possible by the warm support of our title sponsor, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA), and all our like-minded partners and sponsoring companies. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for being able to walk this path with ANA, which has been connecting Japan and the Philippines with its wings since 2011, the year before SMBP started, by operating the Narita-Manila route.
■Comment from JCI Manila
David Ramos, 2026 Community Development Director
"Smokey Mountain is a region that has long faced difficulties, but beyond that, there are young people with talent, determination, and dreams waiting to be nurtured. Our responsibility is not just to deliver activities, but to create pathways that change the direction of their lives. Through this collaboration between JCI Manila, JCI Tokyo, and NB.ACADEMY, we were able to bring world-class baseball instruction, coaches, and equipment to the children, while also conveying the important life values of discipline, excellence, teamwork, and perseverance that extend beyond the field.
Sports have the power to change lives, and baseball can be a bridge to education, scholarships, leadership opportunities, and a brighter future. We are not just providing support; we are investing in people, discovering potential, creating opportunities, and building a future the community can be proud of together. The future great athletes, scholars, leaders, and changemakers may already be standing in Smokey Mountain today. All they need is for someone to believe in them first. That is all."
■Comment from NB.ACADEMY
Representative Director / Shogo Shibata
"I myself suffered from a rare disease when I was in the third year of junior high school, was forced to be hospitalized for six months, and was told by a doctor, 'You have a risk of blindness, so you must quit baseball.' What saved me from the depths of despair at that time was the goal of carving out a life through baseball. My desire for this project, 'I want children to overcome difficulties by having dreams and goals no matter what environment they are in,' stems directly from my own experience. That is why I have continued this project every year since taking it over from JCI Tokyo in 2022. In the near future, I hope that the children growing up in the slums of the Philippines whom we met through SMBP will also..."
■Event Overview
Event Dates
May 29 (Fri) - 31 (Sun), 2026
Slum Visit
May 29 (Fri) / Smokey Mountain, Tondo, Manila
Baseball Clinic
May 30 (Sat) / Felino Marcelino Sr Baseball Stadium
Organizer
NB.ACADEMY
Co-organizers
JCI Manila, Japanese Professional Baseball Meikyukai
Title Sponsor
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA)
Japanese Participants
85 people (former professional baseball players, YouTubers, employees of sponsoring companies, volunteers, etc.)
Number of Local Child Participants
Approximately 120
■Children's Dreams and Challenges Seen Through Baseball
On May 30, approximately 120 children gathered at Felino Marcelino Sr Baseball Stadium. From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony, the children were immersed in baseball. In skill-specific training programs, guests provided advice while observing each child's movements, and Japanese participants supported them. The children absorbed the techniques with serious expressions. During lunch and social time, they exchanged smiles with new friends, and lively, energetic voices echoed throughout the field.
In the afternoon, following mini-games where children were divided into four teams, Team Philippines (mixed) faced off against Team Japan. The sight of players competing earnestly across ages and nationalities embodied the message SMBP has delivered: "Meeting friends through baseball and the challenge of seizing dreams." At the closing ceremony, baseball equipment was handed to the children, encouraging a new step toward their dreams, along with the scholarship support that SMBP has continued. The smiles and hopeful expressions spreading across the field symbolized the results this project has woven over 15 years.
■First Participation of Meikyukai Member Kimiyasu Kudo
Kimiyasu Kudo, a legend representing Japanese baseball who has also achieved results as a coach, participated in SMBP for the first time this year. At the main event on May 30, he provided instruction focusing on pitching in skill-specific development sessions, offering detailed advice on weight transfer, arm swing, and body balance tailored to each player's movements. The children listening intently to Kudo's words became one of the iconic scenes of this year's main event.
[Comment from Kimiyasu Kudo]
"What impressed me most when interacting with the children, even more than their skills, was their high reproducibility of what was taught and their strong desire to 'get better' and 'throw a fastball.' Before pursuing speed, I want them to learn how to use their bodies so they can continue playing baseball for a long time without injury. With that in mind, I taught them natural, strain-free forms tailored to each individual's movements today.
This was my first time participating in SMBP. By showing children what kind of future lies ahead if they continue playing baseball, and by adults demonstrating 'achievable goals,' I believe the number of children, teams, and ballparks for baseball in Southeast Asia will surely increase. I was strongly reminded today that we adults must create the future beyond the dreams children can envision."
■SMBP 2026 Participating Guests
In addition to Kimiyasu Kudo, the following guests participated in this year's SMBP and interacted with the children:
Kimiyasu Kudo / Meikyukai Member, Former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Manager
Takayuki Kajitani / Former Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Yomiuri Giants
Tomomi Takahashi / Former Saitama Seibu Lions, Current Lions Academy Coach
Yuki Takamori / Former Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Ichiro Matsushita / Former Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Manpei / Operator of YouTube channel "EXIT JACK"
Shogo Shibata / Former Yomiuri Giants, Representative Director of NB.ACADEMY
■Gratitude to ANA and Partner Companies
The successful holding of the milestone 15th SMBP 2026 was made possible by the warm support of our title sponsor, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA), and all our like-minded partners and sponsoring companies. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for being able to walk this path with ANA, which has been connecting Japan and the Philippines with its wings since 2011, the year before SMBP started, by operating the Narita-Manila route.
■Comment from JCI Manila
David Ramos, 2026 Community Development Director
"Smokey Mountain is a region that has long faced difficulties, but beyond that, there are young people with talent, determination, and dreams waiting to be nurtured. Our responsibility is not just to deliver activities, but to create pathways that change the direction of their lives. Through this collaboration between JCI Manila, JCI Tokyo, and NB.ACADEMY, we were able to bring world-class baseball instruction, coaches, and equipment to the children, while also conveying the important life values of discipline, excellence, teamwork, and perseverance that extend beyond the field.
Sports have the power to change lives, and baseball can be a bridge to education, scholarships, leadership opportunities, and a brighter future. We are not just providing support; we are investing in people, discovering potential, creating opportunities, and building a future the community can be proud of together. The future great athletes, scholars, leaders, and changemakers may already be standing in Smokey Mountain today. All they need is for someone to believe in them first. That is all."
■Comment from NB.ACADEMY
Representative Director / Shogo Shibata
"I myself suffered from a rare disease when I was in the third year of junior high school, was forced to be hospitalized for six months, and was told by a doctor, 'You have a risk of blindness, so you must quit baseball.' What saved me from the depths of despair at that time was the goal of carving out a life through baseball. My desire for this project, 'I want children to overcome difficulties by having dreams and goals no matter what environment they are in,' stems directly from my own experience. That is why I have continued this project every year since taking it over from JCI Tokyo in 2022. In the near future, I hope that the children growing up in the slums of the Philippines whom we met through SMBP will also..."
FAQ
What is the Smokey Mountain Baseball Project?
It is a social contribution project that provides dreams and opportunities to children through baseball in the Smokey Mountain slum of Manila, Philippines.
When did this project start?
It started in 2012 and marked its 15th year in 2026.
Who is the organizer?
It is organized by NB.ACADEMY.