Tokyo: Korean-Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto, celebrated as the all-time hits leader in Japan's top professional league and a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, has died at the age of 86. The Japanese Professional Baseball Meikyukai, also known as the Golden Players Club, announced Thursday that Harimoto passed away on Wednesday afternoon. The organization expressed its 'deep respect and gratitude' for Harimoto's achievements and contributions to baseball, offering condolences in the wake of his death. The cause of death has not been immediately disclosed.

According to Anadolu Agency, Harimoto was affectionately known as the 'Hit Machine' for his remarkable career statistics, which include 3,085 hits over a 23-season career spanning from 1959 to 1981. He remains unique in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) history as the only player to achieve 3,000 hits entirely within the league. Harimoto's career concluded with a .319 batting average, 504 home runs, 1,676 runs batted in, and 319 stolen bases across 2,752 games. He is the sole NPB player to have combined at least 500 home runs with 300 stolen bases, a feat matched only by Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez in Major League Baseball.

Harimoto's career began with the Toei Flyers in 1959, where he garnered Pacific League Rookie of the Year honors. His impressive tenure included seven batting titles, four of which were consecutive from 1967 to 1970. He was named the Pacific League's Most Valuable Player in 1962, a year when he led the Flyers to their first Japan Series championship. Harimoto later played for the Yomiuri Giants and Lotte Orions before retiring in 1981. His illustrious career earned him induction into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Born Jang Hun in Hiroshima on June 19, 1940, to Korean parents during a time when the Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule, Harimoto faced numerous adversities. At the age of four, he suffered severe burns to his right hand, resulting in permanent damage to several fingers and necessitating a switch to batting and throwing left-handed. Despite these challenges, a specially designed glove allowed him to excel defensively. Harimoto also survived the Hiroshima atomic bombing on August 6, 1945, when his family home, located about two kilometers from the hypocenter, provided some protection. His mother shielded him and his sister from the blast, though she was injured by flying glass.

Harimoto later became an advocate against war and nuclear weapons, sharing his experiences as a hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor. Despite being born and raised in Japan, he retained South Korean citizenship for much of his life, only disclosing in a 2024 interview that he had acquired Japanese citizenship several years prior. After retiring from playing, Harimoto carved out a successful career as a baseball commentator and television analyst, further cementing his legacy in the sport.