Baseball

Based on TV coverage, I would say baseball is the biggest sport in Japan, followed by sumo. They don't show MLB games (at least not on my 5-channel TV), but Japan has it's own baseball league that people seem to enjoy. Although MLB games aren't shown, everyone seems to know the MLB 'exchange students', the Japanese players who play on professional American teams.

Honestly, I think Japanese textbooks should be revised and include the following self-introduction dialogue:

Japanese: Hello.
Foreigner: Hello.
J: My name is Daisuke, are you from America?
F: Yes.
J: What state?
F: *insert home state*
J: Oh! Do you know *insert Japanese player that plays on a baseball team in mentioned home state*?!

The thing is, I'm hardly exaggerating. At least when it comes to meeting older guys. They know their geography of America, based on the locations of Japanese baseball players. It's kind of the equivalent of explaining to someone back home where you live in Japan. The standard answer is "I'm X hours away from Tokyo."

So today, following Tamba Bay's win over the Red Sox, I have been congratulated by many teachers since they know I'm from Florida. I could really care less (now if the Jaguars went to the Super Bowl...), but following the congratulations, I would be asked "Do you know Iwamura?" (Hint: He's the Japanese player for the Devil Rays.)

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English book donation update:

The pile came close to 200 books. These books have been distributed to the 4 elementary schools in my village, so about 50 per school. At each of these schools, every librarian has asked me to go through them and ask me if I want any. As much as I crave an I Spy book or a Barney Storybook with sounds every now and then, I politely declined.