The Chiben Wakayama Approach: Six Principles Resonating with Small Business Owners

This series introduces case studies of content development with SMEs and heartfelt SME projects I've experienced.

To date, I have met with over 1,000 SME owners. Among the many conversations I've had with them, there is one set of principles that resonated most deeply. This time, I'll change things up and introduce these " six principles" – principles I also apply to my own planning and development work.

By the way, I'm a graduate of the baseball team at Chiben Wakayama High School. My mentor, Coach Hitoshi Takashima (former head coach), established the all-time record for Koshien victories (68 wins) in over 100 years of high school baseball. Chiben Wakayama's story—achieving results with a small, elite team through unique approaches that defied conventional high school baseball wisdom—seems to share parallels with SME management.

Six Principles (1) Unity over Numbers

 

Chiben Wakayama's baseball team limited each grade to just 10 players. While many so-called powerhouse schools have over 100 members, Coach Takashima deliberately chose to limit the team to 30 players. This strategy had several objectives: "Ensure all third-year players make the bench," "Keep fielding underclassmen in games to maintain Koshien contention," "Provide full support for every player's future path," and "Maximize the training volume per player."

The common thread in these strategies is "prioritizing the players' feelings." It's precisely because they can feel "there is hope," even when things get tough, that they can push through. Above all, this "system" clearly communicates that the players come first. That's why the trust between the coach and the players is so resilient.

Strengthening "motivation management" through "systems" to achieve results with a small team. This insight applies not only to small business management but also to new project development in large corporations.

Six Principles (2) Communicate Concisely

 

Mr. Takashima's words are concise yet highly impactful. It's often said that shorter advertising copy leaves a stronger impression, and I experienced this firsthand in high school.

For example, shortly after joining the team, he told me, "You won't make it here. You should quit." He briefly explained why (like the body copy in an ad), but that opening line was so striking it became my driving force for the next three years.

Also, during practice before the Koshien tournament in my sophomore year, when I made an error, he told me, "I'll never use you!" which deeply hurt me (laugh). I also vividly remember the joy when he praised me, saying, "Morimoto's been swinging hard from the first pitch," which was rare for him. It feels like yesterday.

Choosing words carefully and conveying them concisely moves people. Because it moves them, it leaves an impression. Because it leaves an impression, players start thinking for themselves. I believe this approach also applies to internal company communication. Even when conversing with influential executives, I feel " people who speak with confidence are concise " is a common trait.

Six Ways of Thinking (3) Think outside the box, beyond common sense

 

Chiben Wakayama High School has many characteristics that were once considered "unconventional" in high school baseball.

Starting with the previously mentioned "select few," the "multi-pitcher system" is another example. While having one ace pitcher throw consecutive games often draws attention, Chiben always rotates 3-4 pitchers to win consecutive games.

Another teaching is "Don't hit ground balls." This gets a bit technical, but when there are zero or one outs and a runner on third, a ground ball hit is merely a result; it carries the risk of squandering the opportunity. However, hitting a line drive or fly ball guarantees a run. If it clears the outfielders' heads cleanly, it can lead to a big inning.

Another indispensable strength is their "whole-school cheering." Starting from the first round of the prefectural summer tournament, the entire student body cheers. This includes original songs not performed by other schools, plus their famous human formation spelling "C" when they reach Koshien.

(The " Company Anthem Contest " I launched in 2016 was inspired by Chiben's baseball cheers. Drawing from the experience that original cheers can drive organizational results, I developed the concept: "Corporate Song = Company Anthem → Solving Corporate Challenges with Company Anthems").

These are the results of challenging conventional wisdom in response to the question: "How can we achieve results in high school baseball, where every game is a one-shot deal?"

What I felt from being inside was that " brands born from unconventional thinking are strong." A powerful personality attracts passionate fans and unlocks an organization's latent potential. I analyze this as the essence of branding.

Six Approaches (4) Break it down to gain volume

 

Chiben Wakayama likely boasts Japan's highest training volume. During my time there, the baseline was 1,000 swings, 2,000 sit-ups and back exercises, and 100 100-meter sprints daily, with additional drills added depending on the season.

When I first heard about this training volume, I thought, "That's impossible!" But there was a trick to making it work: " Don't do it all at once." Coach Takashima's teaching was, for example, if there was a 5-minute wait during batting practice, "Right now, focus and swing the bat 50 times during that time!" I heard that "if you effectively accumulate small chunks of time, you can surprisingly easily get the volume done."

Honestly, it wasn't easy (laugh), but adopting this mindset dramatically increased both the volume I could handle and my concentration.

In this VUCA era, compounded by COVID-19 driving more diverse work styles, effectively utilizing spare moments becomes key to achieving results. Adopting the perspective of " breaking things down to gain volume " also brings the benefit of helping you value the present moment.

Six Perspectives (5) Observe Others Closely

 

If I had to describe Coach Takashima in one phrase, it would be "observation master." His advice is always individually optimized.

During extra innings at Koshien Stadium, when I stepped up to bat, he told me, "Hey, focus on hitting from higher up than usual." Doing so resulted in my first hit at Koshien. In the ninth inning of the prefectural tournament, trailing by one run, he said, "Your swing path drops the bat head a bit; focus on the belt height." Following that advice led to a game-winning home run.

Later, when I visited him during exam break at Keio University to update him, he remarked, "If Morimoto's playing in games, Keio can't be that great," before I even said anything. I suspect he kept checking my games even after I graduated.

These experiences taught me something: " What matters most about advice isn't its inherent correctness, but the feeling that someone is watching over you. " Of course, every piece of advice I received was spot-on and led to results. But more than the content itself, what really made a difference was the feeling that "if someone is watching me that closely, I want to respond."

In today's world, where seniority-based systems and lifetime employment are crumbling, and diverse values collide, perhaps what matters most isn't doing something extraordinary, but simply " observing " the people close to you.

Six Perspectives (6) The charm born from adversity is what truly moves the heart

 

Chiben Wakayama's hallmark is "power hitting" (baseball that overpowers opponents). Even if they give up 10 runs, they score 11 in return. That formidable lineup is their tradition (though I'm no power hitter myself, with a career Koshien batting average in the .100s...). Even when losing by a wide margin, fans expect a comeback, the cheerleaders never give up, and the players believe in themselves until the very end. However, I feel the question of why this "power hitting" was born isn't discussed much.

My analysis is simple: "Because they gave up a lot of runs." In other words, I believe the overwhelming number of adversities faced led to the development of this "power hitting" image as they overcame them.

These are uncertain and difficult times, but I believe the truth remains unchanged: " What is born from adversity is strong."

 

This time, the content leaned a bit personal, but I believe the essence of things is universal.

" Everything you need in life is packed into this field. "

Coach Takashima's words resonate with me now, 17 years later.

(1) Unity over numbers
(2) Communicate concisely
(3) Thoughtful unconventionality over common sense
(4) Break things down to gain volume
(5) Observe others closely
(6) The charm born from adversity is what truly moves hearts

We sincerely hope these six perspectives will prove useful, not only for small and medium-sized business management but also as hints for various planning and development endeavors.