As professionals we have a responsibility of providing a good show for the fans. Getting hits and home runs is what they want to see.

I want to be the first player to show what Japanese batters can do in the major league.

When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it (in Japan). He's that big.

Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me. I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I'd rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out.

The Japanese have a strong tendency to suppress their own feelings. That's the Japanese character. They kill their own emotions.

Everybody in the states is so relaxed, and everybody in Japan is so uptight.

Baseball has been the greatest things in my life, but the cameras and the media surrounding baseball have not been fun. It's unnecessary. How many times do they see me stretch? How many times do they see me walk? It is a big concern. If it affected the team in a negative way, I don't know what I would do.