caption bats debutyear team article_title position debutdate birth_date draftnumber number image place debutteam name throws
aikawa with the tokyo yakult swallows right 1999 yomiuri giants ryoji aikawa
 catcher august 21 11 july 1976 5 23 2010.04.03 ryoji aikawa.jpg chiba , japan yokohama baystars ryoji aikawa right
ryoji aikawa

aikawa was a member of the japanese national baseball team at the 2006 world baseball classic and 2013 world baseball classic .
he also won the bronze medal at the 2004 olympic games .
aikawa is a christian .
aikawa has spoken about his faith saying , `` there are always hurdles and obstacles to overcome in daily life , but knowing god is there helps me get through difficult times .
i wish more japanese people would find jesus christ as i have , and i am thankful i have been able to play professional baseball for such a long time . ''
