Kazuyuki Takemaru, First Rookie in Team History with Opening Day Win, Makes First Cover! "Monthly Giants June Issue" on Sale from Friday, April 24
Hochi Shimbun announces the release of the "Monthly Giants" June 2026 issue on April 24, featuring rookie pitcher Kazuyuki Takemaru on the cover for the first time. The issue includes exclusive interviews, player features, and a digital panel stand appendix.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 04:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 05:01 (24h 31m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 05:44 (42 min after Collected)
The Hochi Shimbun (Representative Director and President: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa), publisher of the "Sports Hochi," will release the June 2026 issue of the "Monthly Giants," a fan magazine supervised by the Yomiuri Giants, sequentially from Friday, April 24, at bookstores and online bookstores nationwide. It is an A4 size, 88-page all-color magazine with an appendix of a digital panel stand of catcher Yukinori Kishida, priced at 900 yen including tax. It can be ordered at bookstores. Orders are also accepted at your local YC (Yomiuri Shimbun Sales Store). It can also be purchased at EC sites "Giants Official Online Store", "Shop Hochi", and the Giants' direct goods shop "GIANTS STORE BALLPARK TOKYO" at Tokyo Dome.
Approaching the true face of the golden rookie!
Draft 1st round rookie pitcher Kazuyuki Takemaru makes his first appearance on both the cover and in the opening interview. It approaches the true face of the golden rookie through his feelings on being the first rookie in team history to win on Opening Day and "21 Questions for Pitcher Takemaru". In the "Lead to Victory! Direct Coach Interview", 2nd team manager Takuro Ishii, who returned to the Giants after 5 years, spoke about his passionate thoughts and expectations for developing players who will carry the future. In the highly popular relay interview project, pitcher Yugo Bando and infielder Daiki Masuda, who makes his first appearance in the corner in his 11th year on the team, develop an in-sync talk between two players from Tokushima Prefecture. For "G RESEARCH", the pitching staff answered on the theme "The last season before the introduction of the DH system. What are your goals at the plate?".
Tatsunori Hara talks about memories from past issues of Monthly G
The 2nd installment of the "Alumni Edition" of the "That Time, That Moment" project, which asks Giants alumni and people involved in editing to look back on this magazine that celebrated its 50th anniversary with the April issue, features Tatsunori Hara, Special Advisor to the Owner. It includes treasured shots of the "legend" who was active as the 4th batter from the 1980s to the mid-90s and served as manager for a total of 17 years, the longest in team history. In the "Staff Edition", former editor-in-chief Yuichiro Suzumura, who was in charge from the January 2017 issue to the December 2018 issue, reminisced about those days. In the popular G-fan talent serialization, artist Genki Iwahashi EE (Executive Editor of this magazine) visited "SPONOBA", one of Japan's largest indoor baseball practice facilities located in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. He toured the facility that just opened last December. Super sento idol "Junretsu" member Shota Gogami has the second half of his talk with Giants Academy Coach Nobutaka Imamura, who retired after last season. 19-year-old actor Riku Onishi YAE (Young Advisory Editor of this magazine) fully enjoyed goods, focusing on the puppet series that has a rich lineup. The bound pin-ups are an Hisayoshi Chono retirement commemorative game poster and a May calendar of pitcher Haruto Inoue & catcher Takumi Ohshiro.
■Publication Overview
Title: Monthly Giants June 2026 Issue
Release Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
*There are areas where bookstore release is delayed by a few days.
Price: 900 yen (tax included)
Publisher: Hochi Shimbun
Specifications: A4 size, 88 pages, all color
Sales Locations: Bookstores nationwide, major online bookstores, YC (Yomiuri Shimbun Sales Store), etc.
《EC Sites》
Shop Hochi https://shop.hochi.co.jp/
Yomiuri Giants Official Mail Order Site "Giants Online Store" https://store.giants.jp/ja/
[Inquiries regarding Monthly Giants]
Hochi Shimbun
Tokyo Head Office Main Telephone 03-6831-3333
Reception Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00 - 17:00
[Inquiries regarding the release]
Email pr1872@hochi.co.jp
Approaching the true face of the golden rookie!
Draft 1st round rookie pitcher Kazuyuki Takemaru makes his first appearance on both the cover and in the opening interview. It approaches the true face of the golden rookie through his feelings on being the first rookie in team history to win on Opening Day and "21 Questions for Pitcher Takemaru". In the "Lead to Victory! Direct Coach Interview", 2nd team manager Takuro Ishii, who returned to the Giants after 5 years, spoke about his passionate thoughts and expectations for developing players who will carry the future. In the highly popular relay interview project, pitcher Yugo Bando and infielder Daiki Masuda, who makes his first appearance in the corner in his 11th year on the team, develop an in-sync talk between two players from Tokushima Prefecture. For "G RESEARCH", the pitching staff answered on the theme "The last season before the introduction of the DH system. What are your goals at the plate?".
Tatsunori Hara talks about memories from past issues of Monthly G
The 2nd installment of the "Alumni Edition" of the "That Time, That Moment" project, which asks Giants alumni and people involved in editing to look back on this magazine that celebrated its 50th anniversary with the April issue, features Tatsunori Hara, Special Advisor to the Owner. It includes treasured shots of the "legend" who was active as the 4th batter from the 1980s to the mid-90s and served as manager for a total of 17 years, the longest in team history. In the "Staff Edition", former editor-in-chief Yuichiro Suzumura, who was in charge from the January 2017 issue to the December 2018 issue, reminisced about those days. In the popular G-fan talent serialization, artist Genki Iwahashi EE (Executive Editor of this magazine) visited "SPONOBA", one of Japan's largest indoor baseball practice facilities located in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. He toured the facility that just opened last December. Super sento idol "Junretsu" member Shota Gogami has the second half of his talk with Giants Academy Coach Nobutaka Imamura, who retired after last season. 19-year-old actor Riku Onishi YAE (Young Advisory Editor of this magazine) fully enjoyed goods, focusing on the puppet series that has a rich lineup. The bound pin-ups are an Hisayoshi Chono retirement commemorative game poster and a May calendar of pitcher Haruto Inoue & catcher Takumi Ohshiro.
■Publication Overview
Title: Monthly Giants June 2026 Issue
Release Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
*There are areas where bookstore release is delayed by a few days.
Price: 900 yen (tax included)
Publisher: Hochi Shimbun
Specifications: A4 size, 88 pages, all color
Sales Locations: Bookstores nationwide, major online bookstores, YC (Yomiuri Shimbun Sales Store), etc.
《EC Sites》
Shop Hochi https://shop.hochi.co.jp/
Yomiuri Giants Official Mail Order Site "Giants Online Store" https://store.giants.jp/ja/
[Inquiries regarding Monthly Giants]
Hochi Shimbun
Tokyo Head Office Main Telephone 03-6831-3333
Reception Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00 - 17:00
[Inquiries regarding the release]
Email pr1872@hochi.co.jp