It has been revealed that Koshi Inaba will be performing the cheer song for the World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international baseball tournament to be held in March and streamed by the major video streaming service Netflix. The song will be a special cover of "Touch," a timeless classic that transcends generations and is synonymous with baseball songs.
The song was released in 1985 as the theme song for the anime "Touch," based on the original work by Mitsuru Adachi. Its catchy, dramatic lyrics and refreshing melody are loved not only by fans of the original work and baseball, but by many people even now, more than 40 years later, as a song synonymous with baseball and youth.
When creating the Netflix tournament cheer song, they decided on "Touch" based on the appeal of baseball, its popularity with many people, and the worldview of the song. It was realized as a cover by vocalist Inaba, who has sung cheer songs for sports tournaments.
All 47 games of the 2026 World Baseball Classic will be streamed live exclusively in Japan on Netflix from March 5th to 18th (archives available). Actor Ken Watanabe will serve as the Netflix 2026 World Baseball Classic ambassador, and Kazunari Ninomiya will serve as a special supporter.
◇Comment from Koshi Inaba
I've been chosen to cover the classic song "Touch" as the theme song for the Netflix tournament. I've poured my passion into singing it while paying respect to the original.
I hope this song will inspire the feelings of the players and coaches who are throwing themselves into thrilling battles, and the fans who are watching them.
And we hope that the 2026 World Baseball Classic will be the best tournament ever.
Koshi Inaba
