Serie Nacional: Yuhki Ohboshi, the image of Cuban baseball

Yuhki Ohboshi’s love of baseball has led him to be considered the official photographer of La Serie Nacional. Here’s his story.

Officially, Yuhki Ohboshi is considered the photographer of La Serie Nacional by many. The Japanese national has a Facebook page named Cuba Béisbol Fotos where he shares pictures of the Cuban National Team at many competitions and at all levels.

He commonly shares pictures with Cuban newspapers such as Juventud Rebelde, Granma, and Cubadebate without charging a single dime. He also shares pictures with stateside media outlets such as the renowned Cuban baseball page Pelota Cubana.

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Yuhki Ohboshi’s pictures accent articles in many ways due to the definition they provide. I met Yuhki in 2018 at the Woman’s Baseball World Championship and was impressed by his professionalism and dedication to his craft.

Many consider you the official photographer for the Cuban National Team, how does that make you feel?

I’m very proud that I’ve been given that distinction, especially because I’m not Cuban. I offered my services the first time I saw the team live in 2015 and team officials gave me the green light. I’ve been offering my services ever since.

I’m very proud that my pictures appear in many Cuban newspapers and online magazines such as Jit and Juventud Rebelde. I’m also proud that all Cubans around get to see the triumph of their teams and players as illustrated by some of my pictures.

What about Cuban baseball drew your interest?

Every time Cuba would send a team there was no official photographer as opposed to other ball clubs like the US and Japan. After seeing that I would voluntarily take picture of the Cubans to help out the team. I would arbitrarily give the team free pictures to motivate them and the rest is history.

How long have you been offering your services to Cuba?

Since college, I’ve been traveling the world and taking pictures. In 2012 I won a prize in a Nikon competition with a picture I took of the Cuban team and that awaken my interest. But it wasn’t until 2015 when I visited Cuba and was attracted by the lore of the country’s baseball, which is unique in its own right. When I took pictures of the U12 team in 2015 those were my first official photos as the team’s official photographer

Do you serve other teams or league that are not affiliated with Cuba?

I primarily serve the Nippon major and minor leagues, that’s my bread and butter. I usually have pictures that are missed by official photographers of many teams. I have been planning to take a trip to the Can-Am and Italian leagues to take a picture during their tournaments.

What is your favorite team in La Serie Nacional?

My favorite team is Havana’s Industriales. The first time I went to Latinoamericano Stadium and the Blue Lion’s catcher Frank Camilo Morejon caught my eye. Thanks to Victor Mesa I was able to photograph the team. That was something I dreamed of doing for a long time.

My favorite player is Granma’s Alfredo Despaigne. He has won a title with SoftBank the last three years in the NPB and in 2017 he led Japan in homers and RBI’s.

I’m hoping to one day see Guillermo Avilés here in the Nippon League one day, he’s also one of my favorites. He has a combination of power and contact is something that isn’t very common here. I believe he can be a franchise player in our league.