Shiba Taguchi, Ryukyu Sports News

Naha, Okinawa – July 18, 2022: Shisa outfielder Kojuro Ishiyama spoke to the press today in an attempt to put to rest rumors that have been circulating regarding his changed appearance this season. “I just want to clear the air today, and hopefully put this whole thing behind me” said Ishiyama (.228/.279/.463, 19 HR, 47 RBI). “During this past winter, after consultations with my personal physician, Dr. Tomohiko Nogushi, and Shisa team trainer, Dr. Nam-sup Chong, I underwent a brief series of cosmetic procedures. These procedures were successful and I recovered from these surgeries in early January. To be frank, I didn’t believe at the time that this would be a very big deal, as cosmetic surgery among ball players is no longer that unusual.”

According to sociologist Hiroharu Nagase at Keio University, Ishiyama is correct. “Among affluent members of what North Americans generally refer to as ‘Generation Y’, surgically altering one’s appearance has become almost as commonplace as updating one’s wardrobe. As surgical methods continue to improve and also become more affordable, it may become an everyday occurrence. Perhaps what people find most surprising is that this trend affects both females and males alike.” Nagase notes that, while traditional notions of masculinity among older men would rule out such procedures, the younger generation has embraced cosmetic surgery as a way of “keeping their look fresh.” Nagase continues, “we first saw this trend among European soccer players, but it has spanned the globe and caught up with the PEBA. Ishiyama is hardly alone, and many baseball players have undergone plastic surgery lately.”

At his press conference, Ishiyama said that he was pleased with the results of his treatments and emphasized that his procedures were mostly just a story among older baseball fans and that, for people his age, it’s not strange at all. “This is another one of those things that the older folks are just going to have to get over,” said the outfielder. “I’m happy with my current look,” he said, “but we’ll see what happens down the road. Maybe I’ll have some more work done in the future.” Dr. Nagase says that “the jury is still out,” as to whether this rise in cosmetic surgical procedures among elite male athletes is a lasting trend or merely a passing fad.