Overview:
There’s a version of baseball where you run straight to one base — no right turn required — and the bat is made of bamboo. To many visitors, it sounds like the rules got lost in translation. But at Koror’s Asahi Baseball Field last Saturday, those very rules became the most delightful part of the day. Palauan-style baseball drew MEXT scholarship alumni and local community members together for an afternoon that proved sport needs no common language — only a bamboo bat and an open spirit.
Bamboo bat and one base, an old-time favorite, brings laughter and community together
By: Laurel Marewibuel
KOROR, Palau (June 27, 2026) — A lively take on a local favorite sport drew laughter and friendly competition to Asahi Baseball Field on Saturday, June 27, when MEXT scholarship alumni and community members gathered for a Palauan-style baseball game.
Played with a bamboo bat and a tennis ball, Palauan-style baseball simplifies the sport to one base: players run straight ahead to the base and back to score a point. The format contrasts with conventional baseball, where runners typically head to the right after hitting. Organizers said the rule — and the use of bamboo instead of a regulation bat — surprised many visiting Japanese participants but soon became a source of merriment.
“At first many of our Japanese participants were caught off guard by this unfamiliar rule and the bamboo bat,” an organizer said, “but it didn’t take long before everyone was laughing and having a fantastic time together.” About 10 people took part in the game, which organizers described as energetic and marked by good sportsmanship.
The event was designed in part to celebrate the ties between Japan and Palau. Those who attended said the afternoon reinforced the long-standing friendship between the two nations through the simple, unifying language of sport.
Organizers thanked MEXT alumni and local participants for making the day memorable, and said they hoped the informal match would encourage future cultural exchanges and community events.
