JR Kiryu Station in Gunma Prefecture, Japan has installed a life-sized bronze statue of Sawamura Eijun, the protagonist of Yuji Terajima’s baseball manga Ace of Diamond (Japanese Name: Diamond no Ace, Also Known As DNA & Daiyaa No Ace). The initiative is part of the city’s “Baseball City Kiryu Project,” a public-private regional revitalisation program that uses baseball as its theme.
At the opening ceremony on September 10, Mayor Keiji Araki ( Age: 67) said:
“We hope this statue will become a new face of Kiryu, a symbol of our city as a baseball town, and something loved by many.”
The statue of Sawamura stands 175 cm tall, matching his official height in the manga. Behind it, a large board displays a photograph of the last professional baseball game held in Kiryu — the October 5, 1958 match at Shinkawa Stadium (now Shinkawa Park) between the Mainichi-Daiei Orions and Toei Flyers. According to the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), 17 professional games were held at Shinkawa Stadium between 1947 and 1958.
Explaining why Sawamura was selected, an official from the city’s Sports and Cultural Promotion Division said:
“Sawamura’s passion for each pitch, his tireless effort, and his care for his team all resonate with the Baseball City Kiryu Project. The way Kiryu — once a prosperous textile hub — is now working hard toward revitalisation matches perfectly with Sawamura’s own story.”
The official also highlighted the connection with publishing, noting that Kodansha’s founder, the late Seiji Noma (1878–1938), was born in Kiryu. The statue will remain a permanent fixture inside JR Kiryu Station, near the ticket gates. Stationmaster Katashi Sataki (50) commented:
“We want many people to come to Kiryu, discover the good things about our city, and help create more liveliness at JR Kiryu Station.”
About Ace Of Diamond
Ace of Diamond (Japanese Name: Diamond no Ace) is a Japanese manga series written by Terajima Yuji. This manga was serialised in 2006 in Kodansha’s Shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Magazine. This manga has a total of 47 Volumes. This manga has won the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Award for the shonen category in 2008. It also won the 34th Kodansha Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2010.
This manga later received a sequel titled Ace of Diamond Act II (Japanese Name: Diamond no Ace Act II), which was serialized in August 2015. This sequel manga has a total of 35 Volumes.
This manga later received an anime adaptation by Studio Madhouse and Production I.G, which was released in October 2013. This anime series also received a second season from the same studios, which was released in April 2015. This anime also received a sequel by Studio Madhouse, which adapted act II of this manga with the same name. It was released in April 2019. The second season of Act II is also announced for 2026.
Kodansha USA has licensed this manga in English and describes its plot as:
“Eijun Sawamura had his heart set on the middle-school national baseball championships. But his team is eliminated thanks to a wild pitch thrown by Eijun himself. He’s planning to go to high school with his teammates and try again next year when he’s scouted by the famous Seido High School Baseball team. When he goes for a campus visit, he finds himself on the receiving end of a baptism by fire! His experience forming a battery with up-and-coming catcher Miyuki rekindles his passion for baseball!!“
Source: Asahi
