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The story
It emerged on September 22, 2026 that Hiroshima Toyo Carp manager Takahiro Arai (49) will continue leading the team next season. His fourth year in charge opened in chaos in January, when infielder Ryutaro Hazuki was arrested for using the designated drug known as “zombie tobacco,” and things spiraled from there. Arai reportedly told the club he wanted to resign three separate times during the season, but ultimately agreed to stay on after Owner Matsuda and other club executives talked him out of it. With the team having just finished a third straight losing (B-Class) season, reactions on 5ch split between sympathy — “nobody else wants the job, so fans should be grateful” — and criticism of both the timing of the announcement and the front office’s leadership.
[Hiroshima] Manager Takahiro Arai to stay on — told the club he wanted to quit three times during the season… A turbulent year shaped by the “zombie tobacco” scandal. Entering his fifth year, he aims for a fundamental rebuild backed by strong internal trust.
It was learned on the 22nd that Hiroshima manager Takahiro Arai (49) will remain in charge next season. On January 27, Ryutaro Hazuki was arrested for violating the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act after using a designated drug commonly known as “zombie tobacco.” His turbulent fourth season, which opened with that off-field turmoil, ended with the team sinking to a third consecutive losing finish. The manager told the club he wanted to resign three times during the season, but Owner Matsuda and other club executives persuaded him to stay. After much deliberation, he ultimately decided to keep managing the team.
As the man leading the team, he felt the weight of responsibility keenly. His first attempt to step down came in early February, right after Hazuki’s arrest, just as camp was getting underway. Then in May, criticism of the club intensified further after Hazuki revealed that six people, including himself, had purchased “zombie” tobacco. In late May, Arai told the club, “If this controversy grows any bigger…” He then visited the owner in person around mid-June and conveyed his wish to resign face-to-face. But precisely because of the strong trust he commands, he was asked to help pull the team out of its slump — and he himself resolved to see it through.
Source: hochi.news / Original article here
What people said
Not bad at all lol
Guess we're headed for dead last next year.
Arai: "Let's do it."
Carp fans should be thanking Arai.
For starters, swap them out for an independent-league team.
At the very least they need to overhaul the coaching staff.
This club really plays dirty.
Figured as much.
If we're only talking recent years, Ogata.
Though really it's the foundation Nomura built that gets the credit.
The Carp used to be a bunch of guys who were only good at hard practice, but they've gotten so flashy and sloppy now it's unbearable to watch.
Is Takahashi Yoshihiko about the only one left from that era?
For starters, why not call in Yoshihiko and Tatsukawa and get them fighting again — wouldn't that boost attendance?
Call in Mame too.
If he'd firmly refused, surely he could've gotten out of it — do they have a hostage or something?
Same as the Dragons — the front office itself is rotten.
Don't lump us in with them — the Dragons' team atmosphere is actually great.
It's not really his fault, but it feels like he's at least somewhat part of the cause.
Bunshun reported that inside the team, there's a hazing "prank" where they burn each other with cigarettes and call it a "goma-gyo" (mocking a Buddhist fire ritual), with the person getting burned saying "that hurts."
If that's true, he's being completely disrespected.
Background and key points of the discussion
As a player, Takahiro Arai helped both the Hanshin Tigers and the Hiroshima Carp win league titles, and he has managed the Carp since 2023, now in his fourth year. This season was repeatedly rocked by off-field scandal: infielder Ryutaro Hazuki was arrested in January for using the designated drug “zombie tobacco,” and in May it came out that several more players had also purchased it. Arai reportedly felt responsible each time and told the club he wanted to resign three times over the course of the season, but ultimately stayed on after Owner Matsuda and other executives talked him out of it. Reaction on 5ch to the news that he’s staying despite a third straight losing season was split — some expressed sympathy that he “took on a job nobody else wanted,” while others criticized the front office, arguing that announcing it before last place was mathematically confirmed was a cynical move. Many commenters also pointed out how hard it would be for the club to find a replacement, suggesting the thread’s underlying frustration lies less with Arai personally than with the club’s management as a whole.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] Hiroshima’s Manager Takahiro Arai to Stay On Next Season.”
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