Jack is outraged at her deception and purposely ignores the table manners that she has taught him. Shortly thereafter Jack and his coach become friends and start to work on Jack s game, so they may bring Jack s batting average up and bring honor back to the team. Jack s adaption phase involves mending his relationship with Hiroko and learning how to be a team player. Harmony is a word used frequently in this film. Jack finally is able to accept that a harmonious effort on his part may actually help his game.
Harmony is a large portion of Japanese culture, it infiltrates everything from religion to baseball.
This film accurately portrays this aspect of Japanese culture. There is no re-entry phase of acculturation in Mr. Baseball, although we do know that Jack returns to America. Mr. Baseball finishes in the great Hollywood tradition of boy gets girl, boy wins pennant, boy gets job back in America. I learned a great deal about the Japanese culture while watching this movie. I learned that honor and harmony should never be underestimated, and that Americans might do well to emulate this aspect of Japanese culture.